


Blinding Horizon

by serendipitymadness



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Adventure, Angst, Drama, Emotional Manipulation, F/M, Hallucinations, Hurt/Comfort, Psychological Trauma, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-11
Updated: 2019-03-13
Packaged: 2019-03-16 17:53:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 75
Words: 327,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13641432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serendipitymadness/pseuds/serendipitymadness
Summary: As a Fire Nation citizen, Abi had grown up with her nations misguided beliefs as she preached them herself, believing her nation to truly be the most superior of them all. When Abi gets sent on the century old mission to capture the Avatar, she's forced to see the world in a new light while discovering that maybe, everything she'd believed for so long was far from the truth.





	1. Honour of the Glory

**Author's Note:**

> So, this was one of my first stories that I posted on my fanfiction page. If you've come from there, it's basically the same story, just on AO3. If you're new to the story, as the summary says it basically centres around Abby, my OC as she journeys around the world to capture Aang. Also, you should check out my fanfiction account too which has the same user as this one.

They say that perception is not always reality. Abi would beg to differ. She was one of those people who firmly believed that perception _is_ reality, regardless of what anyone else thinks. After all, the Fire Nation had the most clear perception of the rest of the world. Who was she to argue otherwise?

People undoubtedly had their own perception of Abi, she knew that. She knew what people thought of her. She knew that people thought she was the spawn of Vaatu and was cruel just like her master. Those perceptions were right since Abi knew that she was incredibly cruel for a fifteen-year-old girl. She had no sympathy or remorse for anyone and certainly didn’t value those characteristics in anyone else. Only wimps felt pity for other pathetic individuals, which Abi certainly was not.

She prided herself on being strong, on being invincible. After all, that’s what everyone thought she was and that perception of her was certainly correct as well. However, there were those few people that believed that she had been brought up lucky, being the prodigy of one of the Fire Nation’s most esteemed Colonel’s. She previously had no strong ties to any Fire Nation elite, and had been raised by Colonel Daisuke for almost all of her life. He had made her into who she was, and many people thought that she was lucky because of it.

Damnit, she was contradicting herself again. Daisuke hated it when she did that. She was better than that.

Everyone certainly knew that she was better than anyone else, since she had been proven herself to be better than some of the most powerful firebenders her age. Ever since she was twelve, Abi had been competing in firebending tournaments against renowned masters, all of which she had beaten. She was undefeated, earning her title as the Dragoness for mastering firebending at the ripe age of fifteen, making her one of the youngest firebending prodigies in recent years. Nobody could say that she hadn’t earned her title.

Nowadays, Abi found herself reciting every single firebending move that she knew. There was hardly anything left for her to learn with firebending, so the best she could do is refine her skills so that they were perfect. There was only one more firebending move that Abi was yet to master – lightning generation. Daisuke had told her that she wasn’t ready to try it yet and that was one of the rare things that Abi disagreed with him on.

If she had proven herself in every other area, then why wasn’t she ready to master the most advanced move of firebending there was? But Abi wasn’t stupid. She knew better than to argue with Daisuke.

Having been taught by Daisuke all of her life, Abi had been trained in every other area of defence. So she was pretty in tune with her other senses, which was why she instantly felt herself being joined by someone else. Turning around, Abi saw one of her many teachers, Master Kenji.

“Master,” Abi acknowledged him, doing the proper Fire Nation greeting with her fisted hand below her upright, open palm.

Kenji chuckled, “There is no need for any formalities like that with me anymore, Abi. You do not need to call me master when you yourself are one.”

“Old habits die hard,” Abi stated.

“Is that so?” Kenji raised his eyes. “Then you would still have your habit of reciting the Fire Nation oath off by heart.”

Abi immediately straightened herself up and reformed her Fire Nation salute as she recited the Fire Nation oath, “My life I give to my country, with my hands I fight for Fire Lord Ozai and our forefathers before him. With my mind I seek ways to better my country, and with my feet may our March of Civilisation continue.”

“You never miss a beat, do you, Abi?” Kenji remarked.

“It would be a great disservice to my country to do so. I owe that respect to my forefathers, since I would not be able to achieve what I have done without them,” Abi proclaimed.

“You truly are a proud Fire Nation citizen, aren’t you?” Kenji noted.

“Of course I am,” Abi boasted. “Why wouldn’t I be? What’s there to not be proud of?”

“Nothing of course,” Kenji said. “I have come here to pass a message onto you. Colonel Daisuke wishes to see you in his office immediately.”

Abi’s eyes widened, “I will get there as soon as I can.”

“You better, you know how uptight he can get when you’re late,” Kenji called out to the young firebender as she dashed out of the room.

Having been trained by Daisuke for the last decade of her life, Abi certainly knew how angry he can get when people do not show up on time. One of the first disciplines that he had instilled in her was the importance of punctuality and that if you are late, then you might as well not show up at all. Of course, there was Daisuke’s golden rule in punctuality.

 _Early is on time, on time is late and late is just unacceptable_.

Though Abi couldn’t help but wonder what her esteemed master would want to talk to her about. Since Kenji had told her that he wished to see her immediately, it had to be something important. Daisuke never spontaneously called her to his office unless it was important.

Nevertheless, Abi headed towards his office at top speed, refusing to let anything get in her way just like she always did. Nothing ever got in her way – she made sure of it.

Upon arriving at his office, Abi readied herself for her entrance to make sure that she was perfectly immaculate. If she was going to see Daisuke for an important matter, she _had_ to be presentable. A messy appearance showed very little respect to him, and he certainly deserved respect. He also commanded respect too, and he had always told Abi to knock on his door before entering, which she did now.

“Enter.”

Colonel Daisuke’s gruff voice was enough to instil fear in anyone, a good trait in any leader. But Abi had long since gotten used to his voice to the point where it was music to her ears. With his acceptance, she opened the large door in front of her and entered her masters office.

Looking around the room, Abi found her master sitting at his desk with numerous files and documents on it. His office was stacked with shelves of books and torches that illuminated the room so that the focus was on him at his desk. Only the best for the owner of the Tatakai Stronghold.

It was customary in the Fire Nation to bow before your superiors, and Daisuke was certainly Abi’s superior – he would always be her superior. Out of respect, she knelt down and braced herself for whatever he was about to unload on her. For her sake, she hoped she hadn’t done anything wrong.

“You may rise,” Daisuke addressed her and Abi did just that and looked him in the eyes, giving him the respect that he deserved. “You have come a long way since you first entered these doors over ten years ago, my pupil. I have moulded you into the perfect prodigy that I knew you were destined to be. From the moment I looked into your eyes, I knew that you were destined for greatness and that it was my destiny to help you achieve that greatness – which I have already achieved.”

Light flashed across Abi’s face, highlighting her unusual ember eyes mixed with purple. It certainly wasn’t a common trend in the Fire Nation, but Daisuke had always insisted that it was because she had come from a unique bloodline that presented the most unusual eyes in the Fire Nation.

“If you thought that you had already achieved your greatness, then you are about to be proven wrong. I have a task for you, Abi. The ultimate challenge that will decide if you truly are worthy of your title as a firebending master and the Dragoness. The task of capturing the Avatar,” Daisuke proclaimed.

“Forgive me for speaking out of turn, Master, but the Avatar hasn’t been seen for a hundred years. The last recorded Avatar was the treacherous Avatar Roku,” Abi stated.

“You are excused, Abi. And yes, you are correct in saying that the last recorded Avatar was Avatar Roku. Until now. The day we have been waiting for in so long has arrived – the Avatar has returned,” Daisuke said.

Abi’s eyes widened, “What? Why would that coward choose now to return when he’s had the last hundred years to show his pathetic face?”

“I do not know much, but I do know that the power of the Avatar has been evoked which sent a signal across the world. The Fire Sages Temple on Crescent Island reported this phenomenon as proof that the Avatar has returned. Along with that, Commander Zhao reported that Prince Zuko had finally found the Avatar, only to fail in capturing him,” Daisuke revealed.

Abi scoffed, “Of course that pathetic prince would fail, just like I knew he would. He is no Prince of mine.”

“Indeed he isn’t. That is why _you_ must be the one to capture the Avatar. If there is anyone that deserves that accolade next to their name, it is you. After all, you are the most powerful firebender in the world at your age,” Daisuke declared.

“You want _me_ to capture the Avatar?” Abi repeated, hardly believing her ears.

Daisuke nodded, “I know you can do it, Abi. I have given you the knowledge and the tools to succeed in this mission. Consider this your last task to complete before you are ready to complete your training. I promise you that if you are to succeed in this mission then I will teach you lightning generation. Think of the glory that will forever be associated with your name if you achieve. You would be a legend, the one to end the Avatar and help the Fire Nation finally win this war.”

“And if I fail?” Abi wondered.

“Failure is _not_ an option,” Daisuke’s eyes hardened. “But that should not be a worry for you, as I believe that you are destined to succeed in this task that four Fire Nation generations have failed to achieve. Sozin’s Comet is almost upon us and should the Avatar still be around before then, he could ruin our great March of Civilisation.”

“I will not let that happen. It would be an honour to serve my country,” Abi promised.

“I know you won’t. But if it does, then consider yourself stripped of your title and the luxuries that come with it. Do _not_ disappoint me,” Daisuke threatened.

“I won’t,” Abi insisted.

“You have the day to prepare yourself. I want you gone from here by sunset tomorrow. You are dismissed,” Daisuke said.

Bowing as she did so, Abi headed out of her masters office and only once she was a safe enough distance from his office did she release a breath that she had been holding in since the moment she walked in. Who could blame her for being unable to do such an action when she had just found herself put in the spotlight?

Unlike those other times in the spotlight, this wasn’t something that Abi had asked for. She hadn’t asked to be sent on this mission and she wasn’t even sure if she wanted to go on it. But arguing was out of the question. Abi had been given a job and she was going to have to complete it whether she wanted to or not.

That night, Abi went to bed buzzing with anticipation, unable to push it aside. This anticipation was nothing compared to what she felt leading up to any firebending tournament. After all, this was leading up to what was going to be the biggest mission of her life.


	2. Eyes on the Prize

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s chapter two and as promised, it’s going to be longer than the last one and give you some background information on Abby. Just to be clear, from now on the story will be in Abby’s POV unless stated otherwise. There won’t be any Gaang in this chapter, but they’ll make an appearance soon enough so enjoy.

Capturing the Avatar was a task that had taken over four Fire Nation generations. It had started with Fire Lord Sozin upon the Air Nomad genocide in his effort to rid the world of the Avatar. Somehow the Avatar had eluded him and his quest continued with his son, Azulon, his grandson, Ozai and now his great-grandson, Zuko. But it wasn’t something that was restricted to the Royal Family, since almost everyone in the Fire Nation had been searching for the Avatar.

Now it was a task that had fallen onto Abi’s shoulders. Granted, it wasn’t a task that she had necessarily wanted but it was a task that she had been given and Abi was the kind of person that when she was set a task, she saw it through to the end.

That was one of the many characteristics that she had inherited from the man who had been the most consistent adult figure throughout Abi’s entire adolescence. She’d only had her parents in her life for five years, but they didn’t want her. They were pathetic non-benders who couldn’t handle the fact that their daughter was a firebender. Because of that, they had abandoned her and Daisuke had stepped into Abi’s life to take her under his wing.

Everything that she knew was because of him. He had made her into the person that she was today and she owed everything to him. That only made Abi want to succeed in this mission even more. For the past decade of her life, Daisuke had been there by her side and the least she owed him was succeeding in the mission that he had set for her.

Since she had begun her training under Daisuke over a decade ago, Abi had never once left the Fire Nation. The furthest that she had gone was to the Fire Nation’s many small islands on the outskirts of the mainland. Of course then, she had been under Daisuke’s watchful eye but this time she would be going out on her own. This was her chance to prove herself, and she was going to take it.

As Abi retreated from the Fire Nation, she couldn’t help but glance back at the only place that she’d ever called home. The Tatakai Stronghold had been where she grew up. Now, Abi was leaving on her own to attempt her biggest mission yet. Competing in firebending tournaments was nothing compared to capturing the Avatar. It was going to take all of Abi’s skill if she was to succeed, which she had to because failure was _not_ an option. Daisuke had made that clear.

Failure was never something that Abi had experienced before, because she was the kind of person who didn’t stop until she succeeded. Abi would do whatever it took to succeed in her mission. No matter what obstacles stood in her path, she would get over them. Just like she always did. Within weeks Abi would have the Avatar begging for mercy before she snuffed him out for good.

 ** _Are you sure you’d have what it takes to snuff someone’s life out?_** An annoying voice entered her thoughts.

 _Of course. This is what I have been trained for. It would be foolish of myself to doubt my capabilities._ Abi argued back.

**_But that would be murder. Murder is_ ** **wrong.**

_It would be for the benefit of the Fire Nation. The Avatar must die in order for us to achieve complete supremacy._

**_You really are a true Fire Nation citizen._ **

_This is what I was raised to be. It is time for me to live up to my purpose and make Daisuke proud._

It was going to be her moment, Abi could picture it now. The moment she brought the Avatar down to his knees. The moment he looked up at her, fear in his eyes as he realised he messed with the wrong girl. Everyone knew better than to mess with Abi. She was the Dragoness – one of the most powerful firebenders in the world. She had more power than men twice her age.

But the Avatar wasn’t just any man – he was the last airbender. The last of his kind. He would have to know more on that than anyone alive could ever dream of. He’s had over a century to master the four elements and Abi was well aware that he would be her most difficult opponent yet. This wouldn’t be like any normal firebending tournament that Abi could waltz into with a secured win. Her victory wasn’t secure, but she was confident that she could achieve it.

At the same time, Abi would be competing against armies of generals as the Avatar would soon become the Fire Nations top priority once again. Abi already knew one competitor that she would have – Prince Zuko. The banished prince of the Fire Nation who had been burned by his own father and sent to capture the Avatar in order to receive his honour. Abi had been there during that Agni Kai, sitting in between Colonel Daisuke and Admiral Zhao as Fire Lord Ozai burned his own son.

The sight of it hadn’t phased Abi at all. She had faced far more gruesome things in her life before. She had watched people and animals die right before her very eyes. As part of her training, Daisuke had forced her to watch people as they neared their last breath so that when the time came, she would be able to commit the deed herself. Those sort of memories had left her scarred at the time, but now she could look back on them without a second thought.

_Abi was ten the first time she saw death right before her very eyes. Daisuke had taken her away from the mainland for this experience. For the most part, he had told her that it would be a training expedition – which it had been. Daisuke had been talking about taking her training to the next level and Abi hadn’t realised what he had meant until she saw a teenage girl gasping for air._

_Immediately Abi had ran to her side, trying to see if there was anything that she could do to help her. At that point in time, Daisuke hadn’t taken out any compassion that might have remained inside of her. But he was about to change that._

_“Nothing will work, my pupil. She is condemned to deaths doorstep,” Daisuke proclaimed._

_“B-but wh-why?” Abi’s lip quivered._

_“Because there is nothing that can be done to save her. She made the choice by stepping near the White Jade bush. It is her own fault,” Daisuke replied._

_“There are remedies to stop it. We can stop it,” Abi argued._

_“Abi, there is a lesson that you must learn in life. That is that you can’t save everyone. Some people are just unfortunate in their fate, like this foolish girl,” Daisuke said._

_“But she’s dying…” Abi trailed off. Watching the girl convulse in front of her was horrifying. She had never seen anything as disturbing as this._

_“Death comes to all of us eventually. There are just those who are unfortunate enough to experience it too soon,” Daisuke stated._

_Unable to tear her eyes away, all Abi could do was watching as the girl in front of her breathed her last breath. It had been a horrible sight, but as Daisuke said, it was a lesson that she needed to learn. Nothing that Daisuke had taught her so far didn’t serve a purpose, so Abi had to believe that there was a reason why she had seen it. That was what had helped her sleep at night when images of the girl dying before her entered her mind._

At that time, Abi had just been a naïve and ignorant girl. She had heard about death before and people she knew had experienced it in the form of someone else. But actually seeing it right before her eyes had changed her perspective on it entirely. Death was something that you cannot escape, like fate.

Fate was an interesting concept in Abi’s mind. It was fate that had put her life in Daisuke’s hands. It was fate that the Fire Nation would be the country that would start a new era never seen before. It was fate that things had turned out the way that they did.

The Avatar had been escaping his fate for far too long. And Abi would be the one to give it to him.

~*•°•*~

Back at the Tatakai Stronghold, Colonel Daisuke sat at his desk as he mulled over the change in events. For so long, Abi had been his prime focus as he spent the past year moulding her into his perfect prodigy. Unfortunately, Daisuke considered himself to be a realist and was well aware that nothing could ever be perfect. Things with Abi had gone just the way that he had planned them to. It had taken a lot of his patience, but he had groomed her as close to perfection as he could’ve.

If everything could be perfect, life would be so much easier. Daisuke wouldn’t have had to rely on an unruly teenage girl to do his bidding. That was what he was doing by sending Abi out to capture the Avatar. Since he trained Abi to be the way that she was, Daisuke knew that Abi would go to whatever lengths that she had to in order to achieve her goal. If she got caught in someone’s crossfire, that was her fault for not being able to get out of it.

This was the ultimate test of Abi’s loyalty for Daisuke. As nice as it would be to have his prodigy be the one to capture the Avatar, Daisuke only sent her on this mission so that he could see just how loyal she was to him. If cracks in her loyalty started to show, then he had a plan that would get rid of them. For now, Daisuke would sit back and wait to see what became of Abi as she attempted a task that so many had tried but never succeeded in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's that one done and dusted. In case you missed it, Daisuke is Abby's mentor or 'superior' from the previous chapter I guess you could say. More will be revealed about their unique relationship as the story goes on.


	3. Old Acquaintances

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AO3 is already confusing me and I've barely started using it. I'm still trying to figure out how to work with this thing, but I'm getting there. The Gaang are yet to make an appearance, but this chapter takes place sometime around the Warriors of Kyoshi.

Two weeks after Abi had departed the Fire Nation and began her quest for the Avatar, she found herself near the southern coast of the Earth Kingdom. It had taken her almost a week to get from the Fire Nation to this point, and she was relieved to be on solid ground again. Now Abi could really begin her quest and start tracking down the Avatar. Since Daisuke hadn’t said much, Abi wasn’t sure how many people knew about the Avatar’s return.

Her questions were answered when she arrived in the southern Earth Kingdom and found the Avatar to be a topic of almost everyone’s discussion. Looking around, Abi could see the joy in people’s faces as they spoke about the Avatar and she couldn’t understand why it would be like that. The Avatar had abandoned the world for a century, leaving the other three nations at the mercy of the Fire Nation. If Abi were them, she’d be shunning the Avatar for allowing the war to rage on for as long as it has.

Being in the Earth Kingdom for the first time had been an unusual experience for Abi. It certainly wasn’t like anything that she’d seen in the Fire Nation. Everything appeared to be chaos which was nothing compared to the orderly way in which the Fire Nation was ruled. Abi knew that the Earth Kingdom was ruled by the Earth King, but she hardly knew anything about him. She only knew that he began his rule at the age of four which would have to be the youngest ruler ever. Since the Earth King was barely a child when he started his rule, he would’ve had to have had someone looking out for him and Abi wouldn’t be surprised if that someone took advantage of their position and made it better for themselves.

Unfortunately Abi wasn’t in any position to do something like that, since she was left to track down the Avatar without any help from anyone. She had no access to any of the Fire Nation’s military equipment or information that would help her, so she really was doing this on her own. She had only been given a small amount of money for her travels as well. It would be up to her to gather her own intel and figure out how to use it to her advantage.

Upon walking further down the area that she had found herself in, Abi caught sight of several ships docked at the shore. One was distinctly Fire Nation due to the metal work which was an obvious way of telling where items were made from. As Abi walked closer, she caught sight of a familiar pony-tailed banished prince walking alongside his uncle, which was enough to tell Abi who the owner of the ship was. Smirking at the sight, Abi headed towards the duo since she knew that if anyone would have information on the Avatar’s whereabouts, it would be Prince Zuko.

“Well, well, well,” Abi addressed Zuko as she approached him. “If it isn’t the banished prince.”

Zuko turned around and faced her with a glare, “If it isn’t the Dragoness.”

“I have nothing to be ashamed of with my title since it only speaks for my excellence. Your title on the other hand, is something to be ashamed of with your pretty scar and lacklustre firebending skills,” Abi smirked.

“I’ll have you know that I once bested Commander Zhao in an Agni Kai,” Zuko snarled.

Abi raised her eyebrows. The last time she checked, Zuko could hardly even match his sister, Princess Azula, in firebending, let alone a master like Zhao. Abi had met Zhao on a few occasions and she only thought of him as an arrogant prick and was one of the many people that she hated with every fibre in her body. If the opportunity presented it to her, she’d burn him to a crisp any day. She could still remember how Zuko’s last Agni Kai had turned out and she was sure that he would never forget it either, so it was surprising for her to hear that he’d beaten someone like Zhao.

“Commander Jackass likes to think he’s better than he is,” Abi muttered.

“What brings you to this port, Abi?” Iroh asked.

Unlike the look she gave Zuko, Abi gave the retired general a look of respect. She’d only met the man a few times and she considered him to be one of a kind. Since he was one of the most renowned firebending masters in the world, Abi looked up to him. His firebending was legendary and he’d even killed the last remaining dragon which gave him the title ‘the Dragon of the West.’ Despite his failure at Ba Sing Se, Iroh was still a living legend that Abi aspired to be like in any small way.

“Just on a little expedition,” Abi replied. It wasn’t _technically_ a lie, since she was on an expedition. An expedition to capture the Avatar, but still an expedition.

Zuko gave her a look, “Really? Didn’t you once say that you’d never set foot on this pathetic soil?”

“If you _must_ know, Colonel Daisuke requested that I see more of the world. He said that it would _broaden my horizon_. I certainly don’t have to enjoy it by any means,” Abi answered as she glanced around in disgust at her surroundings.

“Ah, Colonel Daisuke. How is the man doing these days?” Iroh wondered.

“He’s fine. Busy as always, but that comes with leading one of the most busy strongholds in the Fire Nation. He’s on his way to earning his general title soon,” Abi proclaimed, speaking with pride like she always did when she spoke of Daisuke.

“If anyone has worked hard to earn that title, it would be him. He would certainly make a fine general,” Iroh mused.

Abi turned to face Zuko, “So, I hear your search for the Avatar took an unexpected turn. His return has reached the highest Fire Nation elite.”

“Of course it has,” Zuko muttered.

“Aw, what’s the matter? Can’t handle a little bit of competition?” Abi smirked, knowing that she would be just that competition.

Zuko glared at her, “No! I’ve been searching for the Avatar for three years and _I_ was the first person to find him!”

“But you didn’t capture him,” Abi pointed out.

“We found the Avatar in the South Pole. Despite him being the last airbender, he looks remarkably young. He still looks like a child,” Iroh said.

“Uncle, don’t tell her that,” Zuko hissed.

Abi narrowed her eyes, “Child? Isn’t the Avatar supposed to be a 112-year-old man?”

“Somehow his body has been preserved remarkably well. If I were to make a theory, I would suggest that something happened to the Avatar which is why he has managed to remain hidden for the past century,” Iroh replied.

“That, or Avatar’s just age well. Didn’t Avatar Kyoshi live to be over two hundred?” Abi wondered.

“She did, making her the oldest Avatar ever,” Iroh confirmed.

“This kid is hardly even an Avatar. All he knows is airbending,” Zuko muttered.

This new information on the Avatar was definitely important for Abi’s search. She wasn’t sure what this could mean for her, since it could either be really good or really bad to have the Avatar aged that well. Abi would like to think that she could handle a child, but she could never be too confident.

“So, I see banishment has been treating you well, Prince Hothead. Your pony tail is even longer than what I last remember,” Abi smirked.

“You’ve hardly changed either, Abi. Still as cold hearted and cut-throat as ever,” Zuko stated.

“Some things never change,” Abi shrugged.

“What have you been up to recently, Abi?” Iroh queried.

Abi turned to face Iroh, “Same as always. Training, working, fighting. I’ve won four yearly firebending championship tournaments in a row while remaining undefeated, hence the name the Dragoness.”

“Your dedication and skill always did impress me. The only time I have seen your drive in someone else is in my niece,” Iroh noted.

On the long list of things that she hated, being compared to Princess Azula was high up there for Abi. The two of them had met on more than one occasion and like Commander Zhao, Abi despised her with every fibre in her body. She hated the princess and the feeling was mutual. Abi considered herself lucky that she hadn’t seen Azula since Zuko’s banishment, although she had certainly heard enough about the Fire Nation Princess in her life.

“We can’t afford to be wasting time anymore, uncle. Come on, we’re leaving now,” Zuko ordered.

“It was nice seeing you again, Abi,” the former General said.

“You too, General Iroh,” Abi replied as she bowed to him out of courtesy and bid him farewell.

Seeing Prince Zuko for the first time since his banishment had been an unusual reunion for Abi. He had definitely changed since the last time she saw him. The most notable difference was obviously his scar, something that she had never seen before. She had her own scars, but none could compare to the scar that stretched across Zuko’s face.

The last time that Abi had seen Zuko, he’d been this weak and spineless fool who had the nerve to beg for mercy in front of his father. Zuko had always been angry before, but now it seemed like he’d only gotten more angry. Abi figured that that was what came with spending three years at sea.

With this newfound information on the Avatar, Abi was more than eager to have her first showdown with what was going to be her biggest opponent yet. But before Abi could face the Avatar, she’d have to track him down. And Abi was going to make sure that she was the first person to track him down next so that she could make him hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Abby’s met Zuko and it seems as though they somewhat have a history together, as well as Abby and Azula which will definitely come into play in future chapters. Updates for this story will be fast here, since I want to get up to speed on where I am on fanfiction with 30 chapters posted.


	4. Through the Grapevine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing much to say here, just consider this chapter the calm before the storm cause it's leading up to a big moment in the next chapter and you'll soon see what.

Knowing that she’d need to get a move on if she was to be able to compete with every firebender out there, Abi decided to head off in a different direction in the hopes of finding news about the Avatar’s whereabouts. Word had quickly spread about the Avatar’s return in the Earth Kingdom and it wasn’t long before Abi heard about his brief appearance at Kyoshi Island. He had remained there for several days before Prince Zuko showed up, prompting him and his accomplices to flee.

One common denominators in the stories that Abi had heard were the Avatar’s accomplices dressed in blue, which had to make them Water Tribe. It would make sense, since Iroh had told her that they had discovered the Avatar in the South Pole. Another trend in the stories that she’d heard was the Avatar’s getaway trick – a gigantic monster with an arrow on it’s head. Having done some research on the original benders, Abi knew that the airbenders learned from the sky bison which Abi assumed was the Avatar’s monster.

Throughout her training with Daisuke, Abi’s mind had been enriched with all sorts of knowledge that would come in handy during her search. It was common knowledge in the Fire Nation that they received their firebending from the dragons who first gave fire to the ancient Sun Warriors civilisation. For earthbending, the original benders were badgermoles and the waterbenders were the only people who did not learn from an animal. They saw how the moon pushed and pulled the tides and learned how to do it themselves.

In Abi’s opinion, firebending was easily the most powerful of the bending disciplines, simply because unlike the other benders, firebenders were able to create their bending at will. One could argue that airbending was similar to firebending in that sense, but air was everywhere. Firebenders had to rely on their breath in order to create fire.

During the war, the Fire Nation’s take on firebending had changed drastically. If you asked any firebender how they fuelled their bending, almost all of them would say with anger. Only a true firebender knew that firebending came from the breath and was then fuelled by anger to make it stronger. That was how Abi had been taught to firebend and she was in no position to question how she had been taught. After all, it had worked for her.

It had been a confusing concept to understand, one that had rattled Abi’s brain in the early stages of her training. She couldn’t understand the contradiction that anger wasn’t used to make firebending, but it was used to fuel it. That was something that had constantly confused her until Daisuke drilled it into Abi’s mind. He’d told her a story of how the dragons had come to speak with Fire Lord Sozin when Abi asked why the dragons had become extinct and it was a story that she remembered to this day.

_In the years following the launch of the war, Fire Lord Sozin was struggling to maintain control of the Fire Nation. People were angry that the war had raged on after Sozin’s Comet, and he was beginning to lose favour with his supporters. One night, Sozin had a dream where his dragon, Katsu came to visit him._

_“You’re troubled, my lord,” Katsu greeted him._

_“I am, my dragon. The war goes on, and my people are becoming restless. My troops are threatening to withdraw. Without my troops, I have nobody to send into battle. Seven years have passed since the comet and I regret to say that I underestimated how long this war would go on for,” Sozin replied._

_“You need to find a way to control them, my lord. Give them something to focus their energy on. Change their perspective on the way things are,” Katsu suggested._

_Sozin was given an idea, “You are right, Katsu. Fire has always been considered the element of power and those blessed with its ability have the drive to achieve what they want. I need to give my people something to achieve. I need to change the way they see the war and bending as a whole.”_

_“You have an entire country to lead, my lord. It is going to take more than a few words and propaganda to change people’s thoughts,” Katsu said._

_“Then I’ll have to do something extreme. I’ll have to give them something to achieve, and that something is you, my dragon,” Sozin stated._

_“What do you mean?” Katsu questioned._

_“The dragons are what hold the old beliefs of firebending. In order to have everyone believe what I say, I need to rid the world of them. It would take great skill in order to bring a dragon to its knees – skill that I will preach to everyone else. Once they see what it has given me, everyone will want to kill their own dragon,” Sozin declared._

_“My lord, that means you will have to get rid of me. You don’t really want to do that, do you?” Katsu argued._

_“You have been a fateful servant, Katsu. But in order to achieve complete supremacy, it is something that I must do. Come the suns rise, you will be a fragment of my memory. Everyone will want to kill a dragon and it won’t be long before they are all gone along with the beliefs associated with them. Our great march of civilisation will only continue,” Sozin proclaimed._

In the years leading up to his untimely death, hundreds of dragons were brutally slaughtered as people sought the honorary title ‘dragon.’ It was believed that if an individual could conquer one, their firebending would become legendary. Abi’s firebending on her own was legendary enough for her to earn the title ‘Dragoness.’ The last dragon was conquered long before she was born, by the great General Iroh. It was a shame though, because Abi would’ve liked to have had her own dragon.

Part of her doubted the story that Daisuke had told her, because when she had looked it up on her own she had found nothing. But Abi knew better than to doubt Daisuke’s word, and she had been given no reason to do so.

Abi figured that conquering the Avatar would be the same as conquering a dragon, which had to have been why Daisuke wanted her to achieve this. He’d seen her skills and knew what she could do. So she couldn’t let him down, not after how much effort he had put into her life.

Determined to find the Avatar next before anyone else, Abi knew that she’d have to keep her eyes out for anything in the sky, since that’s how the Avatar seemed to be travelling. She’d continued walking from the port that she was previously at and passed several markets that were spread across the land. There was a village that Abi could see in the distance, and she was planning to keep her eyes and ears open for any information. She didn’t have to look too far, as there was one conversation in particular that caught her attention.

“I heard that the Avatar ditched Kyoshi Island after it was invaded,” a woman said beside her.

“Apparently he’s got this big ass monster that he travels around,” a man commented.

“Someone said that they saw it heading up west, near Omashu,” the woman added.

“I could see why he’d want to hide out there. After all, it’s one of the last two strongholds fighting against the Fire Nation,” the man remarked.

Having heard enough of their conversation, Abi decided to head off on her own. To be specific, towards the southwestern side of the Earth Kingdom. If there was a chance that she could find the Avatar there, Abi was going to take it. She’d been taught not to waste any opportunities, and this would be one big opportunity to waste.

If there was one thing Abi was used to, it was using other people to her advantage. She was going to use these people to her advantage to track down the Avatar and succeed in her mission. Nobody was going to get in her way and Abi was going to ensure that she was once victorious just like she always was. Nothing was going to stand in the way of her and her prize.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It looks like Abby’s managed to track down the Gaang which means she’ll come face to face with them for the first time in the next chapter so that’s something to look forward to. I actually had some trouble when describing Abby’s outfit, especially the bracers since I was trying to find out what the hard gloves Sokka wore in the Day of Black Sun were to use them, so I just settled on bracers.


	5. Cat and Mouse Part I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get ready for one heck of a chapter as Abby comes face to face with the Gaang for the first time. As you can see, this chapter will be split up over two parts to cover everything that's gonna go down. The chapter takes place before the King of Omashu.

Once Abi heard that the Avatar was presumably heading towards the Earth Kingdom city of Omashu, she did the same. Unfortunately for Abi, she didn’t have the speed of a flying bison to catch up with them, but she did have her firebending abilities that would certainly come in handy. With her firebending, she was able to leap from building to building or from tree to tree to make up for lost time.

Abi had certainly heard about the city of Omashu in the past. It was common knowledge that it was the second last Earth Kingdom strongholds fighting against the Fire Nation, with Ba Sing Se as the other. Of course, there were still other parts of the Earth Kingdom fighting against the Fire Nation, but they weren’t as great of a threat as the two great strongholds were.

But Abi had complete confidence that that fact would soon change and that along with Ba Sing Se, Omashu would be conquered. As far as Abi had heard, the King of Omashu was somewhat crazy whereas the King of Ba Sing Se had begun his rule at the age of four, making him the youngest monarch in history. Abi wouldn’t be surprised if he was being controlled, since based on what she had heard about the great Earth Kingdom city, everything was pretty controlled.

As for the city of Omashu, it was completely different than Ba Sing Se. It was surrounded by cliffs and was located in the Kolau Mountains and was basically built like a mountain itself. The city was renowned for it’s delivery system consisting of miles of slides and chutes that used earthbending and gravity. Abi wouldn’t be the first to admit that it was impressive, but she knew that it couldn’t compare to what the Fire Nation had invented. They were after all, the superior nation and element by being the most innovative country.

 _The Fire Nation is and will always be the most superior nation. We are the element of power._ That was what Daisuke had constantly drilled into her mind, so Abi believed it whole-heartedly. She had never seen anything to convince her otherwise.

Almost three days had passed since Abi started heading towards Omashu and she’d caught no sight of the Avatar or the flying bison, but she was determined to catch them. Night soon fell once again and the stars had come out, but Abi had no time to star gaze. She was on a mission and wouldn’t stop until she couldn’t keep going anymore. She had plenty of food, water and supplies that she had managed to take for herself.

At one point, Abi was walking in the middle of a forest. Everything was pitch black and she could hear the sounds of animals in the night. She used her firebending to light the way so she could see where she was going. She’d been so focused on her surroundings that she hadn’t even bothered to pay attention to the sky when she heard a loud roar from above.

Immediately after registering the sound, Abi looked up and could still hardly believe her eyes when she saw the bison flying above her. Upon gritting her teeth in determination, Abi used her firebending to propel herself into the air before landing on the tallest tree branch she could find. As far as Abi could tell, the bison was definitely heading towards the direction of Omashu and she was confident that they would make a pit stop before their arrival. If she kept moving, she’d be able to catch them in no time and the Avatar would be hers. She couldn’t care less about his pathetic accomplices. They could die out here for all Abi cared. All she wanted was the Avatar.

~*•°•*~

After she spotted the bison, Abi was quick to head in the exact same direction. She wanted to track them down before dawn since it would’ve been easier to get to them at that point in time. Instead of travelling by foot, she used her fire jets to stay on top of the trees to make up time and keep her eyes open for the bison. She could feel herself getting tired, but knowing that the Avatar wasn’t that far away only made Abi more determined to catch him.

Eventually, the slightest bit of smoke in the distance caught Abi’s eyes and she just knew that it had to be the Avatar. The would’ve had to have set up camp for themselves, which was the perfect opportunity for her to find them. Abi continued to head in that direction, refusing to stop when she was so close to her prize. Daisuke had given her this mission for a reason and she wasn’t going to let him down. She was going to succeed no matter what.

Abi kept on going, trying her best not to give away her position. It wouldn’t be too hard to see her firebending in the distance and once they caught sight of it, Abi just knew that they’d be off like a rocket. Once Abi had reached the clearing, she was getting ready to send herself to the ground and do the rest on foot when she suddenly caught the sight of three figures down below. Two of them were dressed in blue and one was clad in orange and yellow. A smirk appeared on Abi’s face when she realised who it was.

 _What do you know, patience really does pay off sometimes?_ She thought to herself.

Deciding that it was best to change her tactics, she stuck to her original method of using the trees so that she could ambush them. Abi still went lower so that she could send a powerful attack if she needed or wanted to. She ended up getting close enough so that she could barely make out their conversation.

“Remind me again why we’re doing this?” the Water Tribe boy asked.

“To get supplies. It was your idea, remember, Sokka?” the girl replied.

“Oh yeah. Why do I do this to myself?” the Water Tribe boy, Sokka asked.

“Because you just love making your life difficult,” the girl retorted.

“Yep, I do,” Sokka muttered.

“Come on, guys. Let’s just find some food and head back to the campsite. Then we can go to sleep and wake up in the morning, so we can get to Omashu by tomorrow,” the Avatar said.

“You heard Aang. Now stop complaining,” the girl said.

The wheels started turning in Abi’s head as she listened to their conversation. It seemed as though the Avatar’s name was Aang and that the Water Tribe peasants name was Sokka. Abi couldn’t help but think how it was a peasant name from a peasant tribe. She wondered what his sisters name was and figured that it was probably something just as bad. Abi wasn’t sure if they were siblings, but she assumed that they were based on their appearance and the way they bickered with one another.

Suddenly, the girl stopped in her tracks and turned to look in Abi’s direction. Abi immediately hid herself so that she couldn’t be spotted. It didn’t seem like she had, but Abi knew that the girl thought something was there.

“Is it just me or are we being watched?” she asked.

 _Well, I guess peasants aren’t so oblivious after all._ Abi thought.

“Chill, Katara. And you call _me_ paranoid,” her peasant brother said.

“You were the one who thought Aang was a Fire Nation spy,” she argued.

“Hey, I didn’t know the kid back then!” he exclaimed.

Abi immediately took back her last thought. How could that peasant have mistaken him for a Fire Nation spy? He looked nothing like Fire Nation. Though, she figured that in itself would be a good enough reason. But still, the kid looked too innocent for his own good. And people expected him to save the world? Yeah, like that would happen.

The trio kept on walking, occasionally gathering supplies along the way. It appeared as though once they were satisfied they decided to head back to their campsite and that was when Abi decided to make my presence known. She revealed herself from the tree that I’d been hiding behind and made sure that they would see her. Once they did, she could see a wave of fear go over their faces.

They just stood there, frozen, looking like they’d seen a ghost. Well, if they weren’t going to make the first move then Abi figured that she might as well do the honours.

She swung myself downwards, hanging onto the branch and sent a blast of fire towards them with her feet. The trio quickly dispersed as she sent numerous attacks towards them.

“Forget the supplies! Let’s get out of here!” the peasant yelled, grabbing his sisters arm and running off.

“You guys go ahead, I’ll hold her off!” The Avatar said.

“Don’t have to tell me twice!” The peasant exclaimed.

Abi slid down the tree as the Avatar sent a number of air blasts towards her, but she dodged them each time. _It was going to take more than a blast of air to stop me, Avatar._

Once Abi landed on the ground, she spun around, releasing a stream of fire from her fingertips and sent it towards the Avatar who leaped into the air, avoiding her attack. He sent another blast of air towards her, but Abi brought her hands together, feeling the air disperse past her fingers. He looked at her, stunned as she smirked at him before sending multiple fire jabs at him. He used his pathetic little stick in Abi’s eyes to block her attacks, but she was able to send him backwards more and more.

“It’s going to take more than that pathetic stick to stop me, Avatar!” she yelled.

Abi sent a large ball of fire towards him and he tried to block it, only just managing to do so before he was flung backwards. He looked at Abi, with his hands on the ground and she sent a stream of fire towards him, but he was able to dodge the attack once again. They now stood opposite each other, face to face for the first time.

“Who are you and what do you want?” Aang demanded.

“Isn’t it obvious? I want your head served to me on a silver platter!” Abi sneered.

Abi jumped into the air, kicking her feet forward and sending a ball of fire towards him. They engaged in another quick battle, sending attacks at each other. Though, Abi was doing more of the work as the coward ran from her attacks. But she figured that he’d be an expert on that, considering he’d been a coward for the past century.

Once again, Abi knocked the Avatar on the ground and it looked like she had him right where she wanted him. But just before she was about to launch her next attack, he got up and created a massive hurricane and sent it right towards her. Abi hardly had anytime to dodge or evade the attack before she found herself being pulled into the air and flung around like a ragdoll before she was slammed into a tree.

When Abi got up, she noticed that the Avatar was gone and all that was left were the scorch marks from her fire on the ground. Abi growled in anger and swung her fists downwards, releasing fire from them. How could she have let him elude her like that? Him, a small, pathetic child and her, a renowned firebending master? Abi realised that it was wrong of me to underestimate him but now she wouldn’t be making that mistake again. If the Avatar was going to run from her, then she was simply going to catch him again.

“Alright, Avatar. If it’s a game of cat and mouse that you want then that’s what you’re going to get,” Abi growled to herself. This time she meant business and she wasn’t going to let him get away from her now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, there you have it! Abby’s had her first taste of Team Avatar and it looks like she wants some more. Hope that was enough action to satisfy your needs and they’ll be plenty more where that came from in the next chapter so get excited.


	6. Cat and Mouse Part II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place almost immediately after the last one left off. Prepare yourselves for even more action to come your way.

After her little run in with the Avatar and his peasant accomplices, Abi was quick to get back on her feet and head after them. Although she couldn’t see exactly where they were going, she could barely make out the figure of the bison in the sky. She figured that as long as she kept it in her sights, she should be fine, and she was determined to catch them before dawn broke.

Like before, Abi used her firebending to propel herself into the air and travel through the forest. Now it didn’t matter if they saw her or not since they already knew that she was after them, but it wouldn’t be for long since it was only a matter of time before she brought them to their knees. They’d be begging for mercy once she had her way with them except she wouldn’t be giving it to them. She wouldn’t hesitate to kill the Avatar and his followers. They meant nothing, after all. She was sure that the world could do without them.

It was hard for Abi to keep up with the bison, she was struggling to keep it within her sight. At one point it seemed like it was descending towards the ground, so she bookmarked that place in her head and headed towards that direction. The moon was still out, and she had plenty of time to find them, but she’d prefer to find them before the sun came out.

After she’d pushed her way through leaves and branches, climbed mountains and walked on the hard gravel for what felt like forever, Abi finally found herself at a small suburban area underneath the mountains. It was a small village, with plenty of houses though. Abi caught the sight of a small shop that appeared to be open, given the lights on out the front.

Abi balled her fists and headed towards the shop and at that exact moment, a middle-aged man walked out of the shop, shutting the door behind him. She stood in front of him with her hands on her hips.

 “Peasant. Tell me something, have you seen a monk with orange and yellow clothes with two Water Tribe peasants?” Abi asked, more like demanded.

The man turned to face her, startled. “What business do you have here, Fire Nation _scum?_ ”

At first, Abi was surprised that he had so quickly identified her as Fire Nation. But then she looked down at her outfit and realised that it spoke for itself. She wore a dark, long0sleeved, eggplant coloured shirt with a red vest over it that bore gold trimmings. Matching it were dark red pants with a split skirt along with the Fire Nation’s signature pointy shoes with gold trimmings. On her hands Abi wore black bracers and fingerless gloves that were perfect for fighting.

Abi cackled bitterly, “I’m the scum? You’re the one who lives in dirt. _Peasant._ ”

“You have _no_ business being here. Get the fuck out of here and never come back,” he growled.

Abi gritted her teeth and lit a fire on her palm, keeping it steady. “Wouldn’t it be a shame if something _awful_ were to happen to your precious store.”

His eyes widened. “Please, don’t!”

“I won’t but only if you tell me what I want to know. Did you or did you not see a boy with orange and yellow clothes and two Water Tribe peasants?” Abi demanded.

He sighed, “Yes. They headed in that direction,” he replied, pointing towards the north.

“Were they on a flying beast?” I asked.

“No. They were on foot,” he answered.

Abi put her fire out and turned to walk away. “You’ve proven to be useful after all, peasant. But if I find out that you were lying to me, you’ll be sorry.” And with that, she headed north in pursuit of the Avatar.

~*•°•*~

Abi had been walking around the small village for a few moments, keeping her eye out for the Avatar and his peasant friends. It shouldn’t have been too hard to spot orange and yellow clothes in the dark. The village was mostly quiet, although there were a few people out in about who simply walked on the opposite side of her once they saw her. Abi thought that was a smart move on their behalf. Only someone foolish would dare cross her path.

Eventually, Abi found a local tavern that was still open. She could hear the loud music from the outside and it was dreadful to say the least. I was walking towards the corner when I heard three familiar voices.

“Can’t we just go inside the tavern just for a minute?” an annoying voice asked.

“No,” a girls voice replied.

“Why not?” the annoying voice that belonged to the Water Tribe boy complained.

“Because we can’t even have anything there and we can’t afford to make any pit stops with that crazy firebender out there,” the girl, who was his sister, said.

Abi smirked to herself upon realising who it was. She decided to stand near the corner and wait for them to come while amusing herself with their conversation.

“True. Who was she anyways?” the annoying one asked.

“I don’t know but we’re gonna find out sooner or later. I just hope that we don’t have to cross paths with the likes of her again,” the girl said.

“Let’s just get what we need and go,” the Avatar said.

They were silent after that and kept walking until the passed the corner and literally stopped dead in their tracks upon seeing Abi there.

“Well hello, Avatar. Peasants. Fancy seeing you here,” she said maliciously.

The Water Tribe peasant groaned. “You just had to jinx us, didn’t you, Katara?”

“Well, don’t just stand there. Run!” The girl, Katara yelled.

The trio were quick to run away, practically screaming at the top of their lungs as Abi sent a hard blast of fire after them. In return, the Avatar sent another gust of wind at her except this time, she managed to dodge it and those fools were stupid enough to run inside that tavern.

Abi burst through the door and groaned when she realised just how many people were inside, singing and dancing like a bunch of buffoons.

“Care for a drink, miss?” The bartender asked.

Before Abi could insult him, she briefly caught the sight of the annoying peasant running up a set of stairs and she was quick to follow in suit, shoving people out of her way to get to the stair case.

“Out of my way, disgusting peasants!” Abi yelled as they gave her offended looks but she ignored them, looking out for the Avatar.

“You watch who you’re calling peasants, scum!” A stranger yelled.

Abi gave him a dirty look and was ready to lash out on him, but not before she spotted orange and yellow robes disappear up the spiral stair case. She was quick to follow them, yelling at people and shoving those who blocked her way so that she could reach them.

Once Abi reached the stairs, she powered up them only to find herself on yet another floor surrounded by idiots and morons as they made fools out of themselves. Again, Abi caught a glimpse of the Avatar and his followers as they tried to escape. Abi grabbed a knife from one of the tables and using her weapons experience, flung it towards the Avatar. It barely scrapped his clothes and he looked at the knife and then at her with a look of fear on his face before it morphed into one of determination.

“You guys go ahead, I’ll hold her off,” The Avatar said.

“Be careful, Aang!” The girl said as she and her idiotic brother headed upstairs.

The two of them stood face to face, squared off against each other in the bar. The Avatar threw multiple forks and other utensils towards Abi. She was quick to dodge them, using her bracers to deflect the knifes and forks before throwing some of them back at the Avatar. He threw a large knife towards her, but she dodged it by doing the splits and leaning down before jumping back up again. They were quick to gather an audience, but Abi ignored those scum. This was between her and him.

Abi jumped onto the table, avoiding his attacks and sending them back at him even faster. She wasn’t going to let that child defeat her. If anyone was going to be the victor, it was going to be her.

His attacks started to get quicker, making it harder for Abi to dodge them but she used her years of practise in combat and her flexibility to her advantage. One knife was coming for her head, but Abi did the splits and instead of slicing her head open, it simply slammed into the wall. Abi had heard that monks were supposed to be pacifist, but the Avatar certainly wasn’t living up to that reputation. They must’ve raised him wrong to go against that and be a coward.

“What did those utensils ever do to you?” a lousy customer yelled.

Abi ignored those pathetic onlookers and focused on her intended target, whose aim was getting increasingly better as her temper got increasingly worse. A person could only dodge so many cooking utensils and remain calm at the same time. Abi’s patience finally reached it’s end, just as the Avatar flung several knifes towards her except this time, she created a circle of fire around her, destroying them in mid air.

“She’s a firebender!” some scum yelled.

“How dare she invade our territory!” another yelled.

Glancing down to her left, Abi could see an angry crowd of customers forming around her. That was a mistake on her part, since the Avatar used that as an opportunity to escape through the winder. Abi was still determined to catch him this time and she wasn’t going to let a bunch of lowlife peasants get in her way.

Abi pushed her way through those scum, not even shying away from using her firebending to get her way. One guy grabbed her from behind her neck, squeezing it in a hard way that caused pain to surge through her body. But that feeling was quickly replaced with anger and she was quick to grab a knife on her right and lodge it on his hand, causing him to scream in pain and release her from his grip.

“She’s a fucking savage! Stop her!” the guy yelled.

Several others came after Abi, but she just took off, sending a blast of fire in their direction and another one at the window, shattering the glass in the process. Abi jumped out, with a knife in both her hands, just as a pick axe almost took her head off. She used her rocket boosters to propel herself into the air, landing on the roof.

Abi was quick to examine the premises, finding nobody until she spotted the pathetic Water Tribe peasant. Either they’d left him their to distract her, or this was part of some bigger plan.

“What are you doing here?” Abi asked.

“I’m here to take out the trash!” he exclaimed.

Abi cackled, “Me? Trash? Have you looked at yourself in the mirror?”

“Hilarious. Well, prepare to meet your end, psycho firebender chick!” he exclaimed.

Abi cackled again. “They really sent you,” Abi twirled a knife towards him, “to get rid of me?” she twirled it towards her.

“Hey, I can fight!” he yelled, pulling out a boomerang from his back.

“Is that all you’ve got? Just a lousy boomerang? This is going to be too easy. Like taking candy from a baby,” Abi mocked.

“We’ll see about that,” he said.

Sokka threw his boomerang in the air just as Abi raised her arm, with the knife in her hand only for it to go straight past her. How pathetic?

 “You missed,” Abi taunted.

“Think again,” he said.

Abi suddenly heard the sound of something zipping through the air, not before she felt something _sharp_ slash against her fingers. She lunged over, letting out a cry of pain as she gripped her knuckles that were now dripping with blood.

“Make that a sharp boomerang,” he taunted.

Growling, Abi jumped up and sent a large stream of fire towards the pathetic peasant, but that was before a gust of air blasted into her face which caught Abi off guard and sent her onto the ground. Abi hardly had any time to register what had just happened as she clutched onto her injured hand.

“Appa, yip, yip!” the Avatar yelled.

Abi’s head snapped to the right and she caught sight of the Avatar and his followers escaping on the bison. When did that thing show up? Nevertheless, Abi got onto her feet and launched a large fire blast in their direction as an attempt to bring them down, but she was surprised to see them deflect her attack, sending it into a nearby mountain.

As she watched the bison fly off in the distance, Abi let out a sigh of frustration and used a few fire jabs to take out her anger. That was before she was soon joined by a few angry customers.

“There she is!” one of them yelled.

Knowing that this was the perfect time to make her escape, Abi once again used her firebending to propel herself into the air, sending a few shots down at them for good measure. With a crowd of crazies after her, Abi figured that this brings her search to the Avatar to a close. For now, at least. He might’ve won the battle, but he definitely hadn’t won the war.

It was only just getting started.


	7. Head of the Snake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, Abby's gonna come face to face with another familiar face. Expect longer chapters to come your way with a lot more detail in them. Nothing else to say so I'll quit my rambling and get right to it.

Getting beaten by the Avatar and his peasant friends hadn’t phased Abi at all. In fact, it had only made her even more determined to hunt them down and finish them. For now, Abi planned on staying low and away from any trouble. She already knew that they were heading towards Omashu and she could’ve easily gone after them, but Abi knew that word travelled fast and that it could jeopardise her identity as well as her mission which was something that she didn’t want to risk

Instead of heading after the Avatar, Abi spent the next few days heading west in the Earth Kingdom as she tried to figure out what her next move would be. Admittedly, Abi had no idea what her next plan of action would be since she had no idea where the Avatar was heading after their visit to Omashu, but she decided that she’d have to resort back to her original plan which was to keep her eyes and ears open for any window of opportunity.

Thanks to the Water Tribe peasant, Abi’s knuckles now had a nice scar and dry blood on them. It was nothing compared to any previous injuries that Abi had sustained, but it still made her furious that she had allowed him to get the best of her like that. Abi had allowed a useless, rusty, old _boomerang_ get in her way. In hindsight, Abi figured that’s what she got for underestimating him as well as the Avatar.

There was still that nagging voice in the back of Abi’s mind that sounded a lot like Daisuke saying that she should’ve known better, which she should’ve. The one mistake that people tended to make against their opponents was underestimating them and that was exactly what Abi had done. She was ashamed of herself right now and needed to find a way to redeem herself. One thing Abi refused to happen was to allow Daisuke to have knowledge of how her first encounter with the Avatar went. He would be disappointed if he knew and one thing that Abi couldn’t handle was Daisuke’s disappointment.

Grazed knuckles wasn’t the only injury that Abi had sustained, since her clothes also had some scratches on them from the knives and forks that the Avatar had thrown at her which had also drawn some blood. Abi knew how to fix her own clothes though, so she wasn’t helpless. All she needed was some extra cloth and some sewing materials and she’d be good to go.

Currently, Abi was walking along a rough cliff with rocky ground that meant she had to be extra careful to make sure that she didn’t fall. As Abi walked across the uneven gravel, she caught the sight of a large, tall building in the distance. It didn’t look like any normal Earth Kingdom structure to her based on the way it looked from the distance. When Abi looked closer, she immediately recognised the location of the building from one of her maps which made her realise what that building was.

If Abi wanted to find some information on the Avatar, than this would be a good place to start.

~*•°•*~

Pohuai Stronghold was one of the most renowned Fire Nation structures in the Earth Kingdom. It was located in the western Earth Kingdom near the ruins of Taku. The base was commanded by Colonel Shinu and housed the legendary Yuyan Archers who guarded the place. Their skills were legendary, as they were renowned for being able to pin a tree from a hundred yards away without killing it.

But that wasn’t the only reason why Abi knew of the place. Up until her first firebending tournament several years ago, Abi had never heard of Pohuai Stronghold. Now it was a place that she would forever remember for hosting her first firebending tournament.

Almost four years ago, Abi had entered those doors having no idea what was ahead of her. Back then she had been nervous, apprehensive and unsure of her abilities. Despite having Daisuke’s complete confidence, Abi had ashamedly lacked confidence in herself. That soon changed as she easily bested her opponent, Malu, who had been the Pohuai Strongholds reining firebending champion. She had barely been twelve at the time while he had been eighteen with years of experience. In the span of five minutes, she had humiliated him and proven herself as a worthy component.

Up until that point in time, Malu had been undefeated and his defeat at Abi’s hands had left him humiliated which saw him give up firebending and become a firebending magician. Now Malu travelled across the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation with the Fire Days Festival. Abi had followed his footsteps, becoming a reigning champion for almost four years without ever being defeated. She had bested each and every one of her opponents, something that made her proud.

Having completed her last tournament barely three months ago and remaining undefeated, Abi had been preparing herself for the next round that would began until Daisuke changed her course. Young firebenders were eligible to enter tournaments if they were within six months of their twelfth birthday, which Abi had been at the time of her first match. Her status as an undefeated female champion which was unprecedented at the time since it was rare for females to do so well in competitions like that saw her awarded with the honorary title of the Dragoness, which Abi wore like a badge of honour.

Upon arriving at the doors that guarded Pohuai Stronghold, they soon opened which allowed Abi to walk inside. Only she didn’t get that far as she found her path blocked by none other than Commander Zhao, or as Abi liked to call him, Commander Jackass or Zhao the Narcissist. Abi wished that she had the luxury of not knowing him but unfortunately for her, she didn’t.

 “Abi, I heard that you’d shown your face here,” he greeted her in his usual arrogant way.

“I was walking around, saw the fortress and thought I’d stop by to reminisce. Is there so much wrong with that?” Abi asked.

“No, the iconic Dragoness is welcome here anytime. You know, you’re considered royalty by most commoners?” he asked.

Abi shrugged, “Well, I am better than all of them put together.”

He chuckled, “Still have that same attitude, I see?”

“There’s nothing that could be done to change that,” Abi muttered.

“Fair enough. Now, what is a star like you doing wandering around this nation of filth?” he asked with disgust lacing on each word.

“Daisuke gave me his blessings to leave the Tatakai Stronghold and spread my wings. He wanted me to experience life outside of the Fire Nation so I might better myself and become a more well-rounded individual. He said that I can’t always rely on what I hear or read. I have to see what it’s like for myself,” Abi lied, since she certainly didn’t want to tell Zhao that she was hunting down the Avatar.

He laughed, “You were always a good liar. If I didn’t know any better, I’d believe that. Colonel Daisuke told me all about your little mission.”

 _Of course he did_. It frustrated Abi that Daisuke had done that. Didn’t he think that it was better for people to _not_ know that I was after the Avatar? Then again, Abi didn’t really have the right to demand orders but still, it would’ve been the smarter moves. Sometimes Abi thought that she should be the Colonel and that he should be her student. She’d make a way better Colonel than him anyways. But Abi knew that she had a long way to go before she could rise up the ranks like that.

“Well, secrecy is always important in missions like this,” Abi stated.

“You are indeed right there. Sometimes I think that Daisuke has a few loose screws in that head of his,” he muttered that last bit, but Abi managed to hear it.

 _He’s not the only one who has a few loose screws in their head._ Abi thought to herself. She had always thought that something wasn’t quite right with Zhao and was waiting for the day when that would show.

“Tell me, how’s your little mission going?” he asked, leaning forward.

“Alright. I haven’t found out too much yet,” Abi answered, not wanting him to know that she’d come face to face with the Avatar and lost as well. If word got out that Abi had let a 12-year-old kid beat her, her reputation would be damaged and without her reputation Abi had nothing else going for her.

Zhao narrowed his eyes, looking down. “Those scratches look bad,” he said, pointing to her hand.

Abi looked down at my injured hand, quickly thinking of an excuse. “This? Oh, I just scratched my hand with a machete while making dinner. It was a simpleton mistake. One that I won’t be making again.”

“Well, why don’t you come inside with me to reminisce? You know, for old times sake?” he asked.

Abi smirked. “I don’t see why not.”

“Allow me to lead the way,” he said, leading her inside the building.

It was going to be interesting to see how long Abi could put up with Zhao and his annoying presence before she lost her patience.

~*•°•*~

Walking through Pohuai Stronghold was like walking down memory lane for Abi. She couldn’t help but look back on all those tournaments that she’d competed in here before moving onto bigger and better places. The whole time, Zhao gave an elaborate description on how the building worked and how things had changed since her last visit. In Abi’s opinion, the way he was describing it made it seem like it was the Royal Palace, but this place was nothing in comparison to that. Even the Tatakai Stronghold was better than this place.

One thing that Abi hated about Zhao the most was his arrogance. He was easily the most conceited person that she’d ever met. His head was so far up his own ass that his cockiness could even rival Princess Azula’s, and that’s saying something. All he ever did was call the shots and get other people do his dirty work for him. There was nothing that Abi wanted more than to watch Zhao get knocked off his high horse.

“Over there is our library, filled with all kinds of information from around the world. That’s the arena, which I’m sure you remember,” Zhao droned on.

“What’s that?” Abi asked, pointing at the large building on the tip of the fortress.

“Good eye you have. That’s my office where I store all of my vital information and have access to my resources. Might I add, it’s the best one on the sight,” he bragged.

“What about Colonel Shinu?” Abi asked, referring to his superior.

Zhao scoffed, “His is hardly nothing compared to mine. I have access to more information than you could believe.”

Abi raised her eyebrows, “That includes the Avatar?”

He nodded, “Including the Avatar. I know everything there is to know about that pest.”

Abi raised eyebrows, intrigued. “Everything?”

Zhao glared at her, “I know what you’re thinking and no, you cannot have access to my resources. It goes beyond your position and Daisuke’s clear orders.”

“Then why mention it?” Abi asked, annoyed.

“Just to rub a little salt in the wound and to remind you not to mess with me. I have hundreds of war ships under my command, more than you could ever dream of. I know you have the intention of bringing down the Avatar, but you might as well give up now since you have zero resources compared to mine. If anyone’s going to bring down that coward, it’s going to be me,” he proclaimed.

“You know he’s just a child, right?” Abi asked.

He laughed, “Of course, I do. But that doesn’t pardon anything. I kill everyone the same. I thought that was your philosophy too? Have you gone soft already?”

“Of course not. The Fire Nation is and will always be the superior nation, just like how fire will always be the superior element against everything else. I just expected more from you, Zhao. I guess what they say is true. You really don’t have any morals and you’re too conceited for your own good,” Abi said.

Zhao glared at her, “Watch your tongue. I can still report you for harassment and I’m sure that wouldn’t sit well with Daisuke. Now, I will get one of the guards to escort you out. Good day, Abi.”

“Commander Zhao,” Abi said through gritted teeth before walking away.

It wasn’t long before a guard came to lead her out. Even though she wasn’t being forced out, it certainly felt like it. Abi could’ve easily stayed and fought back, but she was smarter than that. If you want to win the war, you have to play it smart. And if Zhao wasn’t going to let her access his top-secret information, then she knew she was going to have to get it herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you didn’t get it, the Pohuai Stronghold was the fortress in the Blue Spirit episode. I didn’t make it up, that’s the name of it on the Avatar Wikia page. I thought of adding it into the story since it plays an integral role in the development of things, so they’ll be more to come in the next chapter.


	8. Bringing out the Mask

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter you get to see Abby in a way that you haven’t seen her yet and might not have expected it. I think you can take a fair guess based on the title of this chapter.

Contrary to her usual attire, Abi wore a black, flowing cloak that blowed along with the wind which blowed against the hard mask that covered her face. The mask was adorned with web printings which was what had given her the name of her alias. Abi’s entire body was covered in black from head to toe which blended in with the darkness and kept her skin covered. Underneath the cloak were her reinforcements that were ready to go and essential for her plan. What she had in mind was risky and dangerous, but it was something that she had to do.

When she was ready, Abi pulled out her grappling hook and threw it to a nearby rock and made sure that it was sturdy enough before she traversed down the cliff. Once she reached the bottom, Abi pulled down the grappling hook and put it back in her cloak before moving on. She made sure to wear her soft shoes that made it easier for her to ravel on foot in comparison to her signature pointy shoes. They also made no noise when Abi walked or ran which made them the perfect shoes for what she had planned

Zipping through the forest, Abi moved from tree to tree towards her destination. It wasn’t long before Abi was close enough so that she could ready herself for the next phase of her plan. Now that she was there, Abi just had to get inside of the building without being spotted which she knew was going to be a challenge.

Just like she always did, Abi stuck to the shadows to make sure that she went unnoticed by the guards and other officers on patrol. Pohuai Stronghold was built from iron to protect it from earthbenders, but Abi wasn’t an earthbender. She knew that she’d be able to break through those walls without even having to use her bending. The guards wouldn’t know what hit them.

With her speed and agility, Abi was able to make it past the guards without being noticed. She made her way past the corner of the structure before readying her grappling hook and throwing it into the air, snagging it on the edge of the railing that must’ve been thirty something meters tall. Abi’s good aim and arm certainly came in handy in situations like this.

Abi pulled herself up the building while making sure that she wasn’t spotted. Once she reached the top, Abi climbed over the railing and unattached the grappling hook before putting it back inside her cloak. Just when Abi was about to continue walking, she heard the sound of voices from around the corner. Thinking quickly, Abi climbed onto the ledge and pulled herself onto the roof, listening carefully to the conversation below.

“Is everything ready?” a gruff voice asked.

“Yes. The ships are prepared and ready to set sail,” a familiar voice replied, and Abi immediately recognised it as Zhao’s.

“When will you be departing?” the other voice asked.

“Within two to three days, to make sure that everything’s on time,” Zhao replied.

“Good. Report to me when you can,” the other voice said.

“As you wish, Colonel Shinu,” Zhao said.

So, it was Colonel Shinu he was talking to. The curious side of Abi was wondering what they were talking about, but her gut was saying that she’d find out sooner or later and Abi was the type of person that always followed her gut and it always paid off in the end.

Instead of climbing back down, Abi kept her footing on the roof, running across it at top speed. The building wasn’t that different at night and Abi knew where she was going and how to get there. It didn’t take Abi too long to find her destination. Once again, Abi used her grappling hook to attach it to the edge so that she could attach it on the edge so that she could pull herself up. All of that training and effort that she’d put into maintaining her physique was paying off.

Abi pulled herself over the ledge and now she was walking along the balcony connected to the building. All she had to do now was find the right room and she’d be good to go. There was nothing that Abi didn’t think that she could do. She was confident that she could do what she wanted to.

Remembering the way that she had gone before, Abi headed towards where Zhao’s office was. From the distance, Zhao’s office hadn’t looked like anything at the Tatakai Stronghold. At first, Abi had considered raiding Zhao’s library, since the library at the Tatakai Stronghold was what had all of the important and invaluable information. But Zhao had made it clear that that information was in _his_ office. But she couldn’t just waltz into it and take what she wanted. She had to get there without being spotted.

Having been trained in the art of stealth, Abi knew how to be sneaky and get by without people noticing her. She knew how to get something done right. If Abi couldn’t get into this place with ease, then she wouldn’t have learned anything. It was time for her to show everyone what she was made of, without actually showing them who she was.

Getting to Zhao’s office had almost been too ease. Compared to the Tatakai Stronghold, Pohuai Stronghold was easily less guarded and protected. Sure, there were guards around but it wasn’t patrolled nowhere near as much as her old place was. Abi couldn’t go anywhere without bumping into somebody doing their job. At least this made doing her job that much easier.

Upon reaching her destination, Abi used a pin to picklock the door which allowed her to get inside. Abi would be lying if she said that she was blown away by Zhao’s office. It was nothing like Daisuke’s. In Daisuke’s office, Abi felt the power from him and it asserted his power in every way. Zhao’s office did not leave that effect on her.

There were definitely a lot of cupboards and draws around, so Abi didn’t know where to look at first. But then she realised that everything was categorised in alphabetical order, so she knew that she had to start from the letter ‘A’ which was on the right side of Zhao’s desk. As she browsed through the draw, Abi was somewhat disappointed with the lack of information that she wanted. She only seemed to find the basic information on the Avatar which she still took to use to her advantage.

Abi suddenly realised that this draw in particular was pretty loose at the back which made it easy to pull out, which she did. Behind the draw was a folder which Abi immediately took upon noticing the label on it. All it said was one word – Avatar. Sure enough, it provided more information than the rest of the draw had so Abi took that out from its folder before replacing it with a decoy so that Zhao wouldn’t realise that it had been missing until he saw it himself.

Her attention then turned to his desk which wasn’t as elaborate or even as comfortable as Daisuke’s looked. Everything of Zhao’s was inferior to his, which made Abi proud to have him as her master. She didn’t know what she did with someone like Zhao.

But she did know what she would do with Zhao’s belongings, so Abi quickly looked over his desk to see if there was anything worth taking. The draws seemed to be locked, and Abi knew that people didn’t lock things unless they had something worth hiding. So, Abi unlocked the draws using her pin and was satisfied to find a little more bonus information on the Avatar, which she also replaced.

There didn’t appear to be anything else in this room worth taking, so Abi decided that she’d gotten what she needed and that it was time for her to go. Doing just that, she walked onto the balcony that was outside of Zhao’s office. It overlooked the back of the Pohuai Stronghold, and although it had to give a good view, Abi was confident that she wouldn’t be noticed with the amount of black that was covering her.

Once she was sure that the rope was secure, Abi hooked her grappling hook to the edge and jumped over it. All Abi had to do now was get to the ground and make her silent exit and then it would be mission accomplished.

But of course, she had to fuck everything up.

Making the dumbest mistake that she could make, Abi failed to notice that the railing beside her was loose and as she bumped past it, it fell off, making a loud banging noise and getting the attention of all the guards and officers down below. A bright light was cast in Abi’s direction, almost making her lose her balance until she heard a shout from down below.

 “Intruder!”

“That’s no intruder! It’s the Black Widow!”

Dozens of arrows were then sent in Abi’s direction and she instantly scolded herself for forgetting that the Yuyan archers were stationed there. She pulled out her swords and used them to deflect the arrows, sending them back down to the ground. The arrows stopped coming after a minute and Abi used this as her opportunity to make a break for it. She could’ve easily just surrendered there and allowed them to take her in, but Abi wasn’t one to surrender.

One thing that Daisuke had taught her was that surrendering was the same as quitting and that quitting was for suckers. And Abi wasn’t a sucker.

To get down, Abi loosened her grip on the rope and allowed herself to drop until she reached the ground. Then she pulled down the rope and put it back where it belonged. As Abi went to make her move, she realised that she was surrounded and it wasn’t long before an all-out brawl took place. They sent multiple blasts of fire towards her, but Abi was able to dodge them all. She could’ve easily used her firebending to defend herself, but doing so would give away her identity which was something that she couldn’t risk. Instead, Abi used her swords, daggers, knives and explosives that she kept hidden to defend herself.

Speaking of explosives…

Ready for some action, Abi pulled out a smoke bomb and threw it towards the guards and it exploded, causing smoke to fill the area. She used this as her opportunity to get passed the guards, shoving them away for good measure. Abi kept on running until she finally found the door that she was looking for. Once she’d made sure that nobody was around to attack her, Abi tried pushing it open except it was locked. So that she could get through, Abi used her swords to slice it open.

The door was quick to fall down, giving her access to the main courtyard. Only Abi found herself face to face with Zhao, Colonel Shinu, the Yuyan archers and every other guard and officer on patrol. This was either going to end really good for her or as a disaster.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t the Black Widow,” Zhao drawled. “I don’t know how you’ve managed to elude the Fire Nation for as long as you have or even how you managed to get in here, but it doesn’t matter. You won’t be getting out.”

 _We’ll see about that_. Abi thought to herself.

They all sent a large blast of fire at her which she just barely managed to dodge. It even singed part of her outfit, but not enough to burn her. Abi then pulled out one of her daggers and threw it in the air. It managed to break through a rope that was holding up a platform above that caused it to drop and fall on several of the guards. Fire and arrows were continuously aimed at her, so all Abi could do was defend herself with her swords. She was able to deflect the arrows and discretely use her firebending to deflect that.

One of the Yuyan archers fired their arrow that hit my mask, but it didn’t knock me out since my mask protected me to withstand any impact. More arrows were aimed at her direction, and Abi was just lucky that she was wearing her metal armour to protect herself.

“Why is she still standing?” Zhao angrily.

“She must be some type of spirit!” one of the guards yelled, terrified as he should be.

That was exactly the kind of assumption that Abi wanted people to have. If people thought that the Black Widow was a spirit, then they wouldn’t ever suspect that it was her. Abi couldn’t allow people to link the Black Widow to the Dragoness. In her eyes, they couldn’t be anymore different but Abi knew what people would think if they found out that she was both.

More attacks continued to come her way, and Abi knew that she needed to make her escape now before it was too late. Using her weapons, agility and strength, Abi was able to dodge their attacks. All she needed to do was make it to the gate and make a break for it.

This was without a doubt the most difficult thing that Abi had ever attempted. It was one thing beating a firebending master, but to defeat an entire army of fighters and benders was something else. But she was doing it. Abi was getting closer and closer to the gate which was closed, so she needed to think of another way to get over it. A light bulb went off in her head and she pulled out one of the few grenades that she had. It wasn’t big enough to cause too much damage, but it was big enough to create an escape route for her and that was all Abi needed. She set it off and threw it towards the gate before it created a large explosion, causing smoke to gather in the air as it fell down.

 “Keep attacking! Don’t lose sight of her!” Zhao yelled.

If Zhao really wanted to capture Abi then he was going to have to do it himself but as per usual, he was making other people do the dirty work for him so that he could take the credit for himself. Abi forced her way through the smoke and defend herself against the numerous guards and officers that attacked her. They barely stood a chance against Abi, who was an excellent fighter with and without her bending. Daisuke had always taught her that she couldn’t use her bending to get out of every situation and as reluctant as she was to admit the truth in that, it was true.

After making it through the gate in record speed, Abi left everyone else behind her for dust. Literally. She didn’t stop running there since she knew that Zhao would send more of his officers after her. Abi just had to make it to her hideout before they caught her which Abi was confident in since she’d never been caught in action before and she wasn’t starting now.

Abi could hear the voices fading away in the distance and she could barely make out the faintest light behind her which only spurred her on to run faster. Eventually the voices disappeared, and Abi couldn’t see the light anymore, so she was confident that she was in the clear and it wasn’t long before she found her hideout.

Once she found it, Abi was quick to discard herself of her weapons and disguise. She took notice of the multiple scratch marks on her cloak, but that was something that she could easily fix herself. When she took off her protective gear, Abi could admit to feeling so relaxed and relieved to be rid of that stuff. It did limit her physical capabilities since it weighed her down and she was glad to not have that on her shoulders anymore.

Now that she could rest, Abi took off her satchel and opened it up, taking out the documents that she had stolen. As she skimmed through the pages, Abi couldn’t help but smirk to herself. This mission had certainly been a success and now she had all the information on the Avatar that she could possibly want and need. Abi knew that this was her ticket to her prize and it only made her even more determined than she already was to get it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, it looks like Zuko isn’t the only one with an alias as Abby’s got one of her own. I thought about it for a brief time before settling on the name the Black Widow because I felt that it was appropriate. You’ll find out more about how the Black Widow came to be in future chapters and there’s definitely more to come so stay tuned and keep your eyes out for updates.


	9. Plan of Action

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ones kind of a filler chapter, but it's still leading up to another big moment in the story and I think you can take a guess on what that is by the end of the chapter.

After her surprise appearance at the Pohuai Stronghold, Abi was quick to pack her stuff up and head off in a different direction since she knew that Zhao would be on the lookout for any signs of the Black Widow and that if he came across her, he’d definitely suspect her. So far, Abi had been able to keep her identity as the Black Widow a secret and she wasn’t going to let anyone figure that out because if people did find that out, she’d be branded a traitor and most likely banished or suffer an even worse fate than that.

But the thing was, Abi wasn’t a traitor in her own eyes. The Black Widow might’ve helped sabotage the Fire Nation on more than one occasion, but it was only for her benefit. That doesn’t prove anything to her. Abi and the Black Widow were two entirely different people. In fact, the Black Widow was only a small part of her. Abi would never betray her nation. She was Fire Nation red through and through.

Abi had managed to find a rather secluded area which was where she decided to make camp for a few days while she went through the information that she’d stolen form Zhao’s office. She wondered if he’d realised that it had been stolen. If he had, Abi was hoping that he wouldn’t be smart enough to connect the dots to the Black Widow or even herself. Looking back, she definitely didn’t time it right, but she had been desperate and she needed this information now more than ever.

Looking through the numerous pages that were stacked together was something that frustrated Abi, since they were hardly in any order. For her personally, everything always had to be methodical and followed step by step which this certainly wasn’t. But it was in her hands now and that’s all that mattered.

One of the many questions that had been going on in her mind since she found out the Avatar’s true identity was how he had managed to stay as young as he looked over the past hundred years. It was clear that the Avatar hadn’t died in the genocide a hundred years ago, he’d merely disappeared. That question was soon answered, and Abi learned that she’d been submerged underwater in an iceberg which somehow kept his genetics the same. Biologically, he was a 112-year-old man but chronologically, he was a 12-year-old boy. Abi still didn’t understand how that happened, but she figured that Avatar’s had some freakish powers.

Abi kept on reading through the notes, with each bit of information surprising her. She was even more surprised to find a report issued under Zuko’s name but she then realised that it must’ve been from the time that he briefly had the Avatar in his hands. She read the report, taking in every bit of detail there was.

_The Avatar was found in the South Pole. It cannot be said how long he had been there, but that’s where he was found. Not only was he the last airbender, but he was also accompanied by the last of the original airbenders, the flying bison. Prince Zuko had interrogated the villagers before the Avatar arrived to defend them. The Avatar gave himself up to Prince Zuko under the condition that he would leave the village alone._

_Everything was going according to plan until the Avatar attempted his escape, besting several members of the crew despite his hands being tied behind his back. The Avatar eventually faced off against Prince Zuko in his chambers and was able to subdue him before continuing his escape. Prince Zuko did not stop there and chased after the Avatar, jumping off the ships railing in an attempt to halt his escape. The two then engaged in a battle when the bison and two Water Tribe peasants showed up. Prince Zuko was eventually able to disarm the Avatar and sent him over the ships railing and he plunged into the water._

Abi raised her eyebrows in surprise. She’d heard how cold the water was down at the South Pole and it was believed that if you came into contact with the water, hypothermia would immediately set in before you’d freeze to death. But Abi knew that there was more to this story, so she continued reading, eager to find out how it all ended.

_As one of the Water Tribe peasants shouted his name – Aang it was – he suddenly began to rise from the water in the water vortex, an extremely advanced waterbending move. His eyes and tattoos were glowing, and he descended onto the ship before sending his attack at the crew, knocking them and Prince Zuko overboard. The bison landed on the ship and the Avatar, along with the peasants before they began their escape._

_The Water Tribe girl was able to bend the water at the guards, freezing them and signifying her status as the true sole surviving waterbender of the Southern Tribe. The bison then ascended into the air before Prince Zuko – who had climbed back onto the ship – and General Iroh sent a large fire blast towards them but the Avatar was able to redirect it, sending it towards one of the nearby mountains of snow that collapsed, sending an avalanche towards the ship and burying the front half in snow which stopped it in its track. After that, the Avatar and his companions escaped._

Once Abi finished reading the report, she couldn’t help but think back to her first encounter with the Avatar and how he was able to redirect her fireball, like he had reportedly done to Iroh and Zuko’s. It didn’t surprise her at all that Zuko hadn’t given up, since he was always persistent in everything that he did. What did surprise her was the revelation of the Water Tribe girl being the last waterbender of the South Pole.

Years ago, it had been declared that Commander Yon Rha had killed the last waterbender of the Southern Tribe, but it was obvious that he hadn’t. Abi doubted that the girl was at any mastery level since there was no other way for her to learn bending but Abi was taken back by how the report had mentioned the Avatar’s glowing eyes and his ability to waterbend at a mastery level.

As Abi read through more of the documents, she soon learned the true ferocity of the power that the Avatar possessed. The Avatar had the ability to summon the experience of all his past lives when in the Avatar State which was signified by his glowing eyes and tattoos. But what Abi didn’t understand was how it mentioned that only a _fully_ realised Avatar could do that and that the kid was hardly a fully realised Avatar. She figured that it must’ve been a stroke of luck on his behalf or he must’ve had some even more freakish powers to help him out.

Abi continued to read more of the files until one page in particular caught her eyes. It mentioned how the past Avatar’s had the ability to manifest themselves into the mortal world through the current Avatar on the solstice. The Winter Solstice was quickly approaching. Scribbled at the bottom of the page was how the Avatar would most likely come to seek guidance from his predecessor, Avatar Roku, at the Crescent Island and that if he succeeded, he could launch a full attack on the Fire Nation and potentially wipe out their resources.

Once she finished reading that section, Abi had made up her mind on where she would be going next and what she needed to do. Although she had some doubt that the Avatar knew where to go, Abi had full confidence that he would show up at the ancient temple and that if he did, he would be able to possess an unimaginable amount of power. Abi was determined not to let that happen and that she’d get to the Avatar before he got to Avatar Roku so with that in mind, she prepared herself for another long journey. There was no way that the Avatar would be able to communicate with Avatar Roku. Abi was going to make sure of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to the information that Abby stole from Zhao’s fortress, she now has the perfect plan of attack for Aang that will come into play in the next few chapters. Hope you guys like where the story’s going and as always, feel free to leave any feedback whether it’s constructive criticism or not.


	10. Seaside Escapades

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter is leading up to the Winter Solstice. It obviously takes place sometime after Imprisoned and before the Spirit World. This chapter took a pretty different turn then what I originally had planned but I think it turned out pretty good.

Several days had passed since Abi had learned the information on the power that the Avatar possessed, and she was quick to head towards what was Crescent Island. The island wasn’t too far from the Earth Kingdom, so Abi was confident that she’d be able to make it there before the Winter Solstice. But in order to get there, Abi would need to find a way to travel across the water, since she was fairly certain that as strong as a swimmer that she was, she wouldn’t be able to swim there in time. Abi only had her feet to carry her, so it was pretty stupid to think that she could swim there. As big as her ego was, Abi knew when to check it at the door.

Abi’s first plan to get there was to find a port to see if she could buy a yacht or some sort of boat or anything that would travel across water at a decent speed. She managed to reach the western end of the Earth Kingdom in a few days and was lucky enough to find herself at a bustling pier with numerous shops and ships around. She figured that it wouldn’t be too hard for her to find a ride to Crescent Island from where she was.

After walking around for a while as she tried to see if there was anything that she could use as a mode of transportation, Abi caught the sight of a skiff that didn’t look like it belonged to anyone. It was the perfect vessel for her to take to Crescent Island and she was determined to get it. As Abi walked towards the boat, an unusual looking guy walked towards her.

“Does she catch your eye?” he asked, referring to the boat.

“Yes, it does. Is It yours?” Abi asked.

“Not specifically. It can be yours if you want it though,” he said, giving her the money gesture.

“How much for the boat?” Abi asked.

“One hundred gold pieces,” he said.

Money wasn’t exactly something that she had a lot of, so Abi groaned when she realised that she only had ten gold pieces. It was obvious that the man wasn’t going to accept that sort of money, but Abi was willing to try and see if she could persuade him anyways.

“I have ten gold pieces, seven bronze pieces and fifteen silver pieces if you’d be willing to give it to me for that,” Abi suggested.

The man laughed, “Sweetheart, that’s nowhere near enough for that beauty.”

“Is there any viable way that I could get it for less? I’m in a bit of a hurry,” Abi said, expressing her urgency

The man seemed to think about it for a moment before he narrowed his eyes, “Say, that’s a fine-looking sword you got there. Tell you what, you give me the sword and I’ll give you the boat.”

It was obvious what the man was referring to since Abi only carried one sword with her. If there was anything that she’d be willing to sell for that boat, her sword wouldn’t be it. She’d had it since she was twelve after learning swordsmanship from the famed Master Piando every summer since she was nine up until she was twelve, right before she started competing in firebending tournaments. It had been crafted by Abi’s own bare hands and it was her most prized possession, her Shinto Shinai sword. There was no way in Vaatu that she was going to give it up.

“The sword isn’t for sale,” Abi glared at him.

“Then I guess the boat isn’t either. Now if you’re done wasting my time, I have some poetry to write,” he said before sauntering off.

Abi growled at him as he left her there by herself. She took one last look at the boat before giving him another look. She’d made up her mind then and there that if there was any way that she was going to get to Crescent Island in time, it would be on that boat.

~*•°•*~

Night soon arrived, and the bustling pier was now a quiet ghost town. Once Abi was sure that there was nobody around, she put her plan into action. It was rather simple in her opinion. All she was going to do was hijack the boat and use it to get her to where she needed to be. Abi had no shame in stealing since this certainly wasn’t the first time that she’d stolen something for her own selfish gain. In her eyes, Abi deserved anything that she asked for because of who she was. Most people were just too moronic to see things her way.

Abi made her way towards the vessel and she carefully climbed into it, not wanting to cause any noise that would alert anyone else. As she examined the boat, Abi was quick to realise that this was a Fire Nation boat, so she would have no problem engineering it. If there was one way to tell if something was Fire Nation or not, it would be the metal work. She’d be trained to notice this sort of stuff and prided herself on having an eye for detail.

Since she needed to actually start the boat if she was to go anywhere, Abi did just that. She was quick to get the boat started before unhooking it from the post that it was attached to and sailing off. Abi had a map that would lead her to where she needed to go so all she had to do was get there. As the boat sailed away, she heard some noises going off from behind her. Abi glanced over her shoulders and her eyes widened as she saw the guy from before where the boat once was. This time he wasn’t alone and was joined by several other guys who looked just as stupid as he did.

“Where’s the boat?” one of them asked.

“It’s out there, you dimwit! That girl I told you about stole it!” he exclaimed, pointing in Abi’s direction.

“Then all we have to do is steal it back!” another one declared.

For a few split seconds, Abi just remained where she was as she watched them get onto a larger ship before scolding herself for failing to realise that these weren’t just any ordinary guys, they were pirates. It wasn’t hard to decipher based on the ship that they had and the clothing that they wore. Abi knew that this was going to turn into an all-out brawl and that she was going to have to figure out a way to get out of this mess.

It wasn’t long before their ship set sail after Abi and she was quick to realise just how fast theirs was in comparison to the small boat that she had. Abi did everything that she possibly could to speed it up, not wanting to get caught in their crossfire. In her eyes, Abi shouldn’t even have to defend herself since they clearly stole this boat from a Fire Nation citizen but since it was ‘theirs’ she had no choice but to defend herself.

The pirates launched several catapults and other weapons in her direction with each shot barely missing the boat. Either they couldn’t see the boat in the dark, or they were just really pathetic fighters. Instead of fighting back like she normally would, Abi focused on steering the boat so that she could get away from those lunatics.

“Get back here, you cow!” one of the pirates yelled.

“How dare you steal from us!” another yelled.

They continued firing their weapons and like before, each shot missed the boat. Abi had come to the conclusion that they really were just pathetic fighters. Even a child could throw better than them. Although their aiming was terrible, their boat was faster and was quickly gaining ground on her. Their attacks got more accurate and Abi quickly realised that if they weren’t going to get her, they were going to get the boat and then she’d be screwed.

Since Abi was left with no other options, she got into formation and created a powerful blast of fire before sending it towards their ship, which was quick to catch on fire.

“She’s a firebender! She needs to pay for this!” one of the pirates yelled.

“Forget about her! We have to get out of here!” another yelled.

Abi smirked to herself as she watched them abandon the ship before retreating back to the shore. She couldn’t help but feel satisfied as she watched the ship sink to the bottom of the ocean as it burst into flames. It’s what they deserved for being a bunch of pricks.

With the pirates off her back, Abi continued heading towards the direction specified on her map. If there were to be no further delays, then she was easily going to make it to Crescent Island in no time. There was nothing that could stand in her way now.

She had this in the bag.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that’s that chapter. The whole pirate thing kind of came out of nowhere but I felt that it was a good fit for the story. In case you missed it, Abby was at the same pier that the Gaang goes to in the Waterbending Scroll. I figured that what the Vaatu would be Avatar’s equivalent of what the hell so that’s why I put that in there. And the ‘skiff’ that Abby was on is basically the same kind of small boat that Zuko uses to get to the Crescent Island after the blockade and speaking of Crescent Island, I think you all have a fair idea of what’s coming your way next chapter, but I’ll be putting my own little twist on things. 
> 
> Shinto Shinai is ‘does not permeate’ in Japanese which basically means impenetrable sword, so Abby’s clearly got more than firebending to defend herself.


	11. Free For All

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After two chapters, it’s now time for the Winter Solstice. Get ready for my own twist on things as Abby comes face to face with not only Aang, but Roku as well. I won’t give too much away so I’ll stop rambling and you’ll start reading.

Following her escapade with those damned pirates, Abi continued her voyage towards Crescent Island. The rest of her journey proved to be smooth sailing and she encountered hardly any difficulties during the trip. Abi did come across a blockade that was patrolling the ocean boarder between the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation, but Abi had enough time to avoid it by travelling North in order to avoid the ships. Within no time, Abi made it to Crescent Island with only a few days left to spare. She made sure to dock the boat closer to the shore of the island in case she needed a quick escape.

Once she’d arrived, Abi gathered her necessary equipment and headed towards the temple. She was well aware that the Fire Sages still occupied the premises, but their loyalty had turned to the Fire Lord in the past one hundred years and Abi was sure that once she revealed her identity as the Dragoness that they’d welcome her with ease. Abi had done some reading on the Fire Sages so she knew that they were still devoted to their spirituality, despite their allegiance so she made a mental note to not disrespect them in any shape or form.

Abi couldn’t help but notice how abandoned the temple looked. It almost looked uninhabited, but she knew better. Abi just had to make her way through the temple and intercept the Avatar upon his arrival. As she walked through the lower corridor, the polished floors reflected against her and her shoes made a loud stomping noise which was sure to make it harder to keep the element of surprise. Abi figured that they must polish these floors everyday or something in order to get them like this, since there were now way that these floors were naturally shiny. Everything seemed quiet until she felt the presence of others in the room.

“Who are you? What do you think you’re doing trespassing on our sacred temple?” one of the sages, who Abi assumed was the High Sage - because of his hat – asked.

“My name is Abby. I am the Dragoness of the Fire Nation,” Abi introduced herself before giving them the Fire Nation salute and a bow for good measures.

“What are you doing here?” the High Sage asked.

“I think you have a fair idea on why I’m here,” Abi replied.

“You’re here for the Avatar?” the High Sage asked.

Abi nodded her head. “I heard that he’d be coming here on the day of the Winter Solstice, so I made sure to arrive before that time so that I could apprehend him and halt his communication with Avatar Roku.”

“Very well. I’m well aware of your status and the power that you possess. It is an honour to have you at our temple,” the High Sage said, bowing towards her.

“Please, excuse the formalities. Now there is only a few days until the Winter Solstice and the Avatar is sure to arrive soon enough. I suggest that the group of you try to withstand his attempts and if all fails, I’ll take matters into my own hands,” Abi said.

“That can be arranged. The day is slowly approaching so we must ready our defences. He could arrive any moment from now and we must be ready to attack,” the High Sage said.

Abi nodded in agreement and the sages showed her their many secret passageways that were encased and could only be revealed with firebending. Whilst they showed her the way, Abi couldn’t help but notice how a certain sage seemed as though his mind was in an entirely different dimension. Abi made a mental note to be wary of him before she started to mentally prepare herself for the Avatar’s arrival.

~*•°•*~

In no time at all, the day of the Winter Solstice arrived, and the Avatar had still not showed up until one particular moment. Abi had been wondering amongst the halls when she heard a commotion from the bottom corridor. She immediately sprang into action and headed towards that direction.

“I’ll hold them off!” Abi heard a familiar voice yell.

Abi smirked to herself as she realised that it was indeed the Avatar and he was once again accompanied by his peasant followers. There was no way that Abi would allow the Avatar to get past her. This was as far as he was going to get.

“Do you know where you’re going?” the irritating peasant asked.

“Nope!” the Avatar yelled.

Soon enough, they made their way down the same corridor that Abi was in and just like the last time they crossed each other’s paths, they stopped dead in their tracks upon recognising her.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me!” the peasant asked.

“Well, it looks like you showed up in the nick of time. Too bad this is as far as you’re going to get,” Abi sneered before sending a large blast of fire towards them.

The Avatar was quick to shield himself and his followers from her attacks while sending his own towards her. Abi leaped into the air and sent a powerful attack towards him with her feet. She didn’t stop for a breath once as she sent jab after jab at him. The irritating peasant sent his boomerang towards her but this time Abi was able to dodge it.

“Not today, peasant!” Abi taunted.

Abi continued sending her fierce attacks their way and for a moment she felt confident that this time she would be able to apprehend them. She had them cornered and there was no escape. Unfortunately, she miscalculated the use of the secret passageways as a nearby walls suddenly opened up before something or rather, someone pulled the Avatar down the passageway and shut the door. Frustrated, Abi ran towards the wall and tried to unlock it with her own firebending the way that the sages showed her, but it wasn’t working so she assumed that whoever did this had somehow sealed off the passageway.

 “Where did they go?” the High Sage asked as he and the sages ran down the hallway.

“Somebody pulled them into the passage way and now it’s sealed shut!” Abi yelled, frustrated as she angrily breathed fire against the wall, trying to open it but to no avail.

“We don’t have time to waste. We must make it to the sanctuary before the Avatar can contact Avatar Roku,” the High Sage demanded.

Nodding in agreement, Abi headed after the sages as they made their way towards the sanctuary to hopefully halt the Avatar’s attempt at communicating with Avatar Roku. The whole time, Abi couldn’t help but wonder who had pulled them into the passageway. Although, she did have a sneaking suspicion as she noticed that one sage in particular wasn’t with them.

~*•°•*~

Not before long, they made it to the sanctuary along with the guidance of the sage who hadn’t been with them before but was now insisting that the Avatar was inside. In her opinion, his story didn’t add up and she instantly became wary when she realised that it was the same sage who she felt wary towards when she first arrived.

“Look at those scorch marks!” he exclaimed.

Thanks to her many years of firebending, Abi could tell what real firebending looks like and in her professional opinion, that didn’t look like any firebending that she’d seen before. Abi would say that it was a failed attempt at firebending. Or better yet, fake firebending.

“Open the doors immediately!” The High Sage demanded.

“Don’t you think we should-” Abi tried to reason with them before the sages sent five simultaneous fire blasts towards the door. She watched intently as the large door began to open but once it did, she was quick to realise that the Avatar wasn’t inside. It was the lemur.

“It’s the Avatar’s lemur! He must’ve crawled through the pipes, we’ve been tricked!” the High Sage realised.

Just as he said so, the lemur leapt towards him, covering his face and she felt someone grab her from behind, twisting her arm in a way that it shouldn’t be twisted before she was pushed onto the ground, with someone’s foot keeping her down. She looked up and glared at the sage who had her under his foot.

 _That traitor!_ Abi thought. _How dare he betray not only the sages, but his nation as well?_

The Water Tribe peasants had also joined us and had haltered our attempts at attacking. Abi tried to fight back against the sage who had her, but his foot was pressing down on her so that she couldn’t get back up.

“Now Aang!” he yelled, but the Avatar was nowhere to be seen.

“Aang, now’s your chance!” the peasant girl yelled.

Abi heard the sound of a struggle before she saw none other than _Zuko_ walk out from behind a pillar with the Avatar in his grip.

“The Avatar’s coming with me! Close the doors, quickly!” he demanded as he lead the Avatar down the stairs.

There was no way that Abi was going to let that happen. If the Avatar was going with anyone, it would be her. She’d come too far for this to be for nothing and she refused to let Zuko get all the glory for _her_ efforts. Abi managed to get back up and shove the sage off before sending a fire blast towards Zuko in an attempt to stop him, which it did. But the Avatar also used that as his opportunity to escape so he kicked Zuko down the stairs before running past her at rocket speed. Abi was quick to send multiple fire jabs towards him as he headed towards his peasant accomplices.

“Go!” the girl said, gesturing to the door.

The Fire Sages worked together to shut the door as the Avatar zipped past them, jumping over their heads and avoiding the multiple fire blasts that went in his direction. He barely made it through the door just as it closed and as Abi sent another large blast towards him. A bright, fluorescent light seeped through the door, almost blinding her in the process. The sages along with Abi and Zuko tried their best to open the door with their firebending, but to no avail.

“Why isn’t it opening, it’s sealed shut!” Zuko yelled.

“It must’ve been the light. Avatar Roku doesn’t want anyone else inside,” the High Sage said.

Zuko turned to face the treacherous sage. “Why did you help the Avatar?”

“Because it was once the sages’ duty. It is still our duty,” he answered.

Abi glared at him. “I hope you enjoy the rest of your life rotting away in prison. I’ve heard that traitors are treated excellently in prison.”

There was suddenly a gentle clapping noise heard from behind them and Abi turned around to see none other than _Zhao_ and his men show up. Of course, he had to show up. And now Zhao was going to take away all of the effort that Abi had put into this mission and take the glory for himself like the selfish prick that he was.

“What a moving and heartfelt performance. I’m certain the Fire Lord will understand, when you explain why you betrayed him,” Zhao said to the treacherous sage before turning to face Zuko. “And Prince Zuko. It was a noble effort, but your little smokescreen didn’t work. Two traitors in one day. The Fire Lord will be pleased.”

Zuko scowled as Zhao’s soldiers grabbed him from behind. His attention then turned to me. “As for you, Abi. I’m not sure how you managed to figure out to come here but either way, you won’t be walking away with your prize.”

“And why not?” Abi asked.

“Don’t you remember Daisuke’s orders? I’m sure that he’ll be glad to hear that you deliberately disobeyed his strict orders by trespassing the blockade and entering a sacred temple without his approval,” he smirked.

Abi glared at him. “What are you gonna do about it?”

“You are going to join those peasants over there and watch as I capture the Avatar. If you do not comply with me, I’ll take this straight to Daisuke, so he can deal with you appropriately,” Zhao said with a disdainful smirk that Abi so badly wanted to wipe off his face.

Abi attempted to fight back as two of Zhao’s soldiers held her against her will. She was then dragged over to where the two peasants were chained, and she was unceremoniously shoved against the pillar before the chained her to it. Just her luck, she had to be put between the two irritating peasants. On the other hand, Zuko got his own pillar. The lucky bastard.

“You’re too late, Zhao! The Avatar’s inside and the doors are sealed!” Zuko seethed.

Zhao smirked, “No matter. Sooner or later, he has to come out.”

Of course he was going to, then Zhao was going to take the Avatar and find a way to get Abi in trouble like he always did. She could feel someone looking at her though, so Abi turned to her right to see Sokka looking at her with a confused look on his face.

“What?” she asked.

“Aren’t you two like, I don’t know, allies or something?” he asked, pointing to Zhao.

Abi scoffed, “Hardly. He’s nothing but an arrogant jackass who gets in my way.”

“But you’re both Fire Nation,” he pointed out.

Abi rolled her eyes, “Thanks for pointing out the obvious, genius. Just because I’m from the Fire Nation doesn’t mean that I’m best friends with everyone.”

“So, what’s the deal with you? Are you like an assassin or just another crazed firebender? I’m leaning towards both,” he said.

Abi was beyond annoyed by this point. She turned to his sister, ignoring him as she asked, “Tell me, peasant. Is your brother always this… obnoxious?”

She nodded, “Yes.”

“Hey, you’re supposed to be on my side!” Sokka exclaimed.

“Oh, you know I think it,” his sister argued.

At any other time, their petty squabbling would’ve been fun to watch but Abi didn’t have the time and patience to sit back and listen to their annoying voices. As Abi turned to the large door that was protecting the Avatar, she couldn’t help but wonder what could possibly be going on in there. Surely the Avatar wasn’t having a tea party with all of his past lives. It had to be something important and Abi could only imagine what was going on inside. If only she was a fly on the wall in there…

“When those doors open, unleash all of your fire power!” Zhao shouted.

“How’s Aang gonna make it out of this?” Katara asked, worriedly.

“How are we gonna make it out of this?” Sokka asked, troubled.

Waiting for the Avatar to show himself was beginning to get aggravating. How could this possibly be taking so long? For all they knew, he could’ve already teleported to the Fire Nation using his freakish Avatar powers. Couldn’t the Avatar just show up so that Abi could be on her way? This whole trip had been for nothing and Abi shouldn’t have even bothered in the first place. For a while, there was nothing happening except the guards patiently waiting for the Avatar to reveal himself.

And that’s when it happened.

Suddenly, a bright, blue and blinding light came through the door as smoke streams came out from underneath. It was so bright that Abi had to look away to shield her eyes for a moment. The doors opened, revealing a pair of glowing eyes and Abi immediately knew that this was the Avatar in the Avatar State and that they were about to be dealt with a heavy blow. But Abi couldn’t help but notice how his tattoos weren’t glowing either, since that was what was supposed to happen.

“Ready?” Zhao began.

“No, Aang!” Katara yelled, terrified.

“Fire!" Zhao yelled.

All of the soldiers cooperated and blasted their fire towards the glowing Avatar, creating a wall of fire. To her complete amazement – and quite frankly, awe – Abi watched as the wall of fire amassed, circling it’s host. But that wasn’t the only reason why she was surprised. Because standing there wasn’t the airbender Avatar. It was Avatar Roku.

“Is that-” Abi began before being cut off.

“Avatar Roku,” the treacherous sage said in awe, causing Abi to glare at him for interrupting her.

Abi watched in amazement as the ghostly Avatar drew the circling fire together in one motion. He then sent it forward in one powerful wave that seared the room, blasting Zhao, the sages and the soldiers off their feet while melting the chins that were binding her and the Water Tribe peasants. She used this as her opportunity to break free from her restraints, running from the sanctuary without looking back, knowing that the Avatar was bound to do something destructive and not wanting to be caught in the crossfire. Zuko also seemed to have the same idea that she did as they ran down the spiral stairs together. At one point, Abi could see the lava making it’s way through the hardened walls and the soldiers running down as well. She knew that she had to get to her boat and out of this island as soon as she could.

Using all of her energy, Abi ran out of the temple as fast as she could. Abi looked up and watched in shock as it began to sink into the ground and as fire blasted through the walls. Abi ran towards the area where she’d put her boat and jumped into it before setting it off and heading out to sea, looking back as she watched the temple continue to destruct. She looked around to see that Zuko was also heading out to sea, but in a different direction. Abi ignored him, knowing that she had to get to safety before Zhao found her. The chances were that she’d run into Zuko again anyways.

As she drifted away, Abi looked into the sky and she could faintly make out the sight of the bison in the air, but she already knew that it was pointless in following it. Her plan to catch the Avatar might’ve failed, but Abi knew that there would be plenty of other opportunities that would come her way in the future and she wasn’t going to let any of them go to waste.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At the time, this was the most that I'd ever written for a single chapter and I honestly thought about splitting it up over two chapters before deciding against it. Hope liked what I did with the Winter Solstice and there’s plenty more where that came from. In later chapters expect to see more revealed about the nature of Abby’s relationship with Daisuke and why she’s like the way she is. That’s it for now so I’ll see you guys next chapter.


	12. Trouble in the Treetops

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s a quick recap on what’s happened so far; Abby’s came face to face with not only Aang but Roku as well and she’s well aware of the true power that the Avatar possesses. She’s had two failed attempts at getting the Avatar but she’s not about to give up. This chapter takes place sometime around the Waterbending Scroll.

After spending a few days out on sea, Abi had managed to find her way back to shore. She made sure not to go anywhere near that pier with the risk of being caught by those blasted pirates again. Once Abi had arrived at a nearby shore, she ended up selling the boat for one hundred gold pieces and fifty silver pieces so that she actually had enough money to support herself.

Having already faced the Avatar twice and having lost both times, Abi was beginning to get frustrated with herself. It shouldn’t be this hard to chase after a 12-year-old boy, even if he is the Avatar.

This time, Abi wanted to take a few steps back and wait before she struck again. Her first few attempts had been done irrationally, and she hadn’t thought of the possibilities that could get in the way. Abi hadn’t thought about the Avatar actually besting her and having to chase him through an Earth Kingdom tavern. She hadn’t thought about Zhao getting in the way at Crescent Island. She wasn’t going to make this mistake again.

It was time for Abi to start considering what was to happen in the future instead of the present. Abi was assuming that the Avatar’s first real destination was the Northern Water Tribe since he would need to find a waterbending teacher and that girl hardly seemed capable of teaching him. As long as she continued heading north through the Earth Kingdom, Abi should be able to make it to the Northern Water Tribe within a few weeks. There wouldn’t be that much time for her to relax, since she was going up against a flying bison and she didn’t want the Avatar getting too much practice to increase his power. The kid was already powerful enough, he didn’t need any extra bonus help.

_You’re right, he doesn’t need any extra bonus help. Because he seems perfectly capable of humiliating you as he is._

There was that irritating voice again. The same voice that constantly entered Abi’s mind and made her feel like she was going insane. Perhaps she was, since she was having conversations inside her own head. But Abi didn’t have time to worry about her sanity or her well-being. She had an Avatar to catch.

As she ventured through the Earth Kingdom, Abi made sure to stay clear of any inhabited areas so that she didn’t risk getting exposed again. Abi had, however, came across multiple areas that consisted of Fire Nation troops. She knew that the Fire Nation had spread their supplies far, but Abi honestly had no idea how far they really had gone. Part of her felt pity for those peasants that she came across, being born into the wrong nation. If they had been born into the Fire Nation, their lives would’ve been much better off.

Abi had no idea where she was born. Daisuke had told her that my parents abandoned her when she was five-years-old and that he took her in as his apprentice where she began her training. He had never mentioned her place of birth which did make her wonder to a degree. Even though Abi’s parents had raised her for those five years, they clearly didn’t care enough about her to abandon me the way that they dd. She owed everything to Daisuke. He’d taught Abi everything she knew. He taught her how to be stronger, even if his methods were a little bit unorthodox at times. She had to give credit where credit was due and the least she owed him was succeeding in this mission.

Days after beginning her voyage into the Earth Kingdom, Abi came across this small town situated near a forest. Abi hadn’t eaten a substantial amount of food in a few days so, since she had plenty of money she decided to treat myself to something nice. It’s the least that Abi deserved after all the work that she’d done recently. After all, she couldn’t perform on an empty stomach.

As Abi walked through the village, she was quick to realise that this was one of the many Earth Kingdom villages that had been overtaken by the Fire Nation. Abi took no pity on the lives that they lived. They were all pathetic scum who were destined for suffering. She passed multiple soldiers who bowed down at her, which she returned. This was one of the rare times when it was good to be a Fire Nation citizen in an Earth Kingdom town.

Abi walked towards the market and purchased enough food to last for the next week and a bit. The server scowled at her as he handed her the food. He was obviously Earth Kingdom. Any Fire Nation citizen wouldn’t look at someone else that way. They were taught with proper etiquette, unlike these savages.

“Cow,” he sneered.

“You’re calling me a cow? I’m not the one who looks I just crawled out of a ditch. Just for that, I’m not going to pay you,” Abi taunted, taking the money away and walking off. As she did so, she couldn’t help but feel like she was being watched but there was nothing that seemed out of the ordinary.

“Get back here, you bitch! You owe me that money! Nobody gets free food!” he yelled.

One of the nearby soldiers walked towards her. “Is he causing you any problem, ma’am?”

Abi nodded. “Yes, he keeps on insulting me and demanding that I give him more money than he deserves.”

“We’ll deal with him. Have safe travels, miss,” he said.

Abi gave the guard a small smile before bidding him farewell. She then left the village and headed towards the nearby forest. At the same time, she had that uneasy feeling from before and she was almost positive that somebody was watching her, even though she couldn’t see anybody. One of Abi’s many words of wisdom is that if your gut thinks that somethings wrong, then it probably is.

And sure enough, she was right.

The sound of leaves rustling above caught Abi’s attention so she looked up to see a figure emerge from the branch, jumping out and landing in front of her. Abi looked down at the figure to see a guy who looked more like a teenager, somewhere around her age. He wore casual clothing along with some protective gear. He wielded two hook swords and chewed on a piece of wheat.

“Who do you think you are to just waltz into here and act like you own the place, you wretched bitch?” he sneered.

Abi cackled. “Look what we have here. Aren’t you a little too old to be playing hide n seek?”

“This isn’t a game. You’re about to be taken out and suffer for your belittling, you cow!” he proclaimed.

Abi laughed again. “You and what army?”

He looked up and Abi did as well to see several others in the trees. There was a guy with a bow and arrows, a girl with a knife and a small boy with a helmet amongst them. A large guy emerged from the bushes and there was only a small part of her that was intimidated by his size.

“That army,” he smirked.

“Do you really think that you and your little minions can stop me?” Abi asked.

“Yes,” he replied.

“You Earth Kingdom peasants really don’t know that much, do you? I guess it makes sense, considering your lack of intelligence. But you’re about to find out just who I am the hard way,” Abi said, dropping her personal items and drawing her own sword.

“You don’t even stand a chance,” he said. He then charged towards Abi with his swords aimed directly at her.

Not one to back down, Abi fought back, easily overpowering him. He wasn’t even that hard of an opponent. The only thing that made it difficult was the fact that they were hook swords. Other than that, his skills were pretty average. Well, average in comparison to hers but then again, she hasn’t met that many people who can match her capabilities.

Things quickly escaped, and it turned into an all-out brawl between Abi and their peasant gang. Despite their best efforts, Abi was easily able overpower them. They were quick to gang up on her, but it was all for nothing. There were multiple arrows sent towards er but as always, she was able to deflect them with her sword. From the outside, this might look like an unfair advantage in favour of them but really, it was the other way around. Of course, they were going up against Abi and she was no easy opponent by any means.

They were learning this the hard way as Abi easily got the best of them. Their leader was getting more and more frustrated as she stood strong against their attacks. At that time, Abi didn’t even need to use her firebending to defend herself, but she decided to put it in just for good measure. She leaped up into the air and as she did so, she sent a large blast of fire towards them from her feet.

“She’s a firebender!” the large guy exclaimed.

Why is that always everyone’s first reaction when they saw Abi firebending? It’s honestly not that surprising. Their small battle continued until Abi decided that she’d had enough of this charade, grabbing her stuff and using her firebending to propel myself into the air. Once she landed on a nearby tree, she sent another large blast of fire in their direction to stop them in their tracks.

“And that, children are why you don’t mess with the Fire Nation because we’ll make you pay,” Abi said and with that, she leaped into the air and headed away from that damned forest.

Abi could’ve easily stayed there and taken on that pathetic little gang, but she decided to conserve her energy instead, knowing that she had a long journey ahead of me. Abi could always take pleasure in watching the ants die. That was enough action for her. Now all she had to do was continue heading north and make it to the North Pole in no time. The Avatar certainly hasn’t seen the last of Abi, that was for sure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It shouldn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out who Abby duelled in that chapter. I wanted to fit Jet into Abby’s story somehow, so I figured why not put it into this chapter? It looks like Abby’s already thinking ahead of Team Avatar and has a new plan of action but as always, setbacks are inevitable.


	13. Hidden Scars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thirteen chapters in which means that we’re in the teens now and things are only getting better from here on out. So, this chapter takes place during the Storm and I think you know what that means, you really get to find out more about Abby’s background, and it’s appropriately titled Hidden Scars. Just a little warning, things get a little dark in this chapter so be prepared. You get to see the more human side of Abby than you have so far. The italics in this chapter are either dreams or flashbacks but it shouldn’t be too hard to figure out what is what.

For the past few nights, Abi had been having nightmares. They had started once she’d left Crescent Island and had begun the next part of her journey. It was usually the same thing each night, memories of pain that she tried to block from her mind. Those memories came from Daisuke, since a lot of the pain in her life had been because of him.

It hadn’t been an easy beginning for Abi, since she didn’t have the drive that Daisuke wanted her to have. That was something that he’d forced her to have. He had made her want to succeed and do what was expected of her because she didn’t want to suffer the consequences of failure. Abi figured that that was why she was being haunted by those painful memories, because she had failed in succeeding at what Daisuke wanted her to do in capturing the Avatar.

His words still echoed in her mind, words that she wished she could forget and words that she wished didn’t affect her as much as they did. Daisuke had trained her to succeed, he had trained her to be invincible and to not be afraid of anything, yet she was afraid of him. As much as she hated to admit it, the only person who Abi was afraid of was Daisuke and in her mind, she had every right to be afraid of him. He had threatened her when she was just a child and left her permanently scared, physically and emotionally.

_You better behave, or your next punishment will be far worse than this!_

Every punishment that she had been given was worse than the last. There were days when Daisuke would lock her in the basement without any food. He had said that doing so would prepare her for when she was faced with a situation like that, but Abi knew better. It had been a punishment, and it had done it’s job.

The worst kind of punishment that she would get had to have been the emotional abuse that she suffered. It wasn’t like Daisuke had completely broken her, since it had made her stronger but at the same time, Abi knew that part of the reason why she was so emotionally withdrawn and cut off form everything was because of the way that Daisuke had made her think. Sometimes she hated him for doing that to her.

If there was anything that always kept Abi’s mind distracted from anything that was troubling her, it was planning. So, that’s what she did. She started planning her next move that would hopefully get her what she wanted in the form of the Avatar.

Maybe then she would be able to banish these persistent thoughts from her mind.

~*•°•*~

After deciding to plan her next move, Abi thought that the best thing for her to do was to continue travelling through the Earth Kingdom and keep her eyes and ears open for any news on the Avatar. It was frustrating that she didn’t have the same resources that Zhao or even Zuko had. Zhao had the power to get an army of soldiers to do his work, just like how Zuko had his own. Abi just had herself but at the same time, she did her best work on her own.

Hours later, Abi found herself walking through an open-spaced village. It wasn’t necessarily a village since there were hardly any houses but there were enough scattered around the slopes for it to be considered a village. Up above, Abi could hear the thunder raging and she knew that it would be storming soon which meant that she’d have to find somewhere else to sleep. If she was lucky, Abi might be able to get one of these peasants to give her a room for the night. They would be lucky to have her in their presence anyways.

Abi continued walking with her sword in its case and slung over her shoulder that held onto her other supplies. She ended up spotting the sight of a man approaching her in the distance. She mentally prepared herself for an attack since he seemed to be deliberately walking towards her. As he got closer, Abi took in his appearance. He was wearing long, brown pants, a dark green shirt and red shoes. His attire looked more like rags in Abi’s opinion. It wasn’t long before their paths crossed, and he stared up and down at her and she did the same.

“Hello, miss. What is someone like you doing in a rural area like this?” he asked.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Abi asked.

“It’s just that, you don’t look like someone from around here,” he said, gesturing to her outfit.

Abi made a mental note to find something else to wear, since the easiest way to identify someone was based on what they were wearing. But Abi wasn’t going to back down form him. If he wanted a fight, she’d give him just that.

“You got a problem with that?” Abi challenged.

“Not at all. It looks as though a storms coming. You shouldn’t be out and about in this weather. Please, come with me. I have a house nearby where you can spend the night,” he offered.

It had been just what Abi wanted, but she wasn’t sure if she could trust him or not. It’s not everyday a complete stranger who you’d just met offers you a place to stay. Most of the time, people usually attacked Abi when they first meet her, so this was definitely something out of the ordinary. After a moment, Abi decided that he seemed trustworthy enough and her character judgement had never failed her before. So, she nodded her head, accepting his offer.

He gave her a smile. “Excellent. Allow me to show the way.”

The man lead Abi through the rural area and just as the rain began to pour down, they arrived at this medium-sized house that seemed nice enough in Abi’s opinion. The man lead her to the door and opened it, allowing her to walk inside. The inside looked no different from the outside. Despite it’s location, the house looked like any house that you’d find in a normal village. There were chairs, a table, a kitchen and even a Pai Sho board.

Pai Sho was a game of strategy. It was never something that Abi had been a fan of, but it was something that Master Kenji had taught her as part of her training. He said that she never knew when it would come in handy. It did come in handy, since Abi was easily able to beat anyone that she played against. Abi actually found that she enjoyed Pai Sho, since it was another way for her to distract herself since it required her complete focus.

But Daisuke didn’t like that. He thought that Pai Sho was pointless for her to learn, so he had always found a way to interrupt her whenever she was having fun. It seemed as though Daisuke didn’t like the idea of her having fun, since Abi could recall plenty of times when he had interrupted her happy memories for training. He always said the same thing each and every time.

_Serious firebenders do not have time for fun and games! You can have fun with your bending and that is all. Anything else is pointless._

“Care for a friendly game?” the man asked, getting Abi her focus back.

She turned to face him, “Pardon?”

“Would you like to play a game of Pai Sho with me?” he asked, gesturing to the game.

Abi nodded, not as eagerly as she had intended but enough for him to get the message. She gulped awkwardly before heading over the board. It wasn’t usual for Abi to be awkward like this, since she was usually put together but there was something about this man that gave her that reaction.

“Have you played before?” he asked as he set up the table.

Abi nodded, “Yes, but it’s been a while. I was actually pretty good, so it’ll be interesting to see if I still have it.”

“We’ll see. Ladies first,” he said.

To begin the game, Abi picked up her first piece and put it down on the board. He followed in suit and they faced off, attempting to beat each other at their own game. It had been years since Abi last played Pai Sho, but she was playing like she’d played it yesterday. They’d exchanged moves back and forth until there was an eventual winner. It wasn’t Abi, but she came in at a pretty close second.

“Not bad for an amateur,” he complimented.

“I’m hardly an amateur. You’re just really good,” Abi returned the compliment. It reminded her of the time when she’d played a game of Pai Sho and used similar words to what had just been said.

“What is your name, miss? And there’s no need to lie. I already know that you’re Fire Nation,” he said.

“Was it the clothes?” Abi asked, before she could even think of a lie and preceded to mentally scold herself for doing so.

He shook his head, “I’ve been around long enough. I’ve seen how Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation citizen’s carry themselves and you have the exact look as a Fire Nation citizen. Of course, once I saw the clothes that only confirmed my suspicion.”

“Well, my name’s Abi,” Abi introduced herself, feeling comfortable enough to give him her real name.

“Ah, the famed Dragoness. I’ve heard of your legendary skill. It’s rather impressive for someone your age,” he complimented her.

“Thank you. I’ve been training hard ever since I was five-years-old,” Abi boasted.

“I can see that you’re not only skilled in your bending but other elements too,” he said, gesturing to her sword.

She nodded. “So, can you tell me what your name is?”

“I don’t see why not. My name is Osamu. I used to be an imperialist,” he said.

Abi’s eyes widened as she realised where he was from. The Fire Nation was the only nation that had many imperialists and the name Osamu was also a common Fire Nation name as well.

“You’re Fire Nation,” Abi said.

He nodded, “Indeed, I am.”

“But if you used to be an imperialist, how did you end up out here?” Abi asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

“That’s a rather unique tale. You see, I served the Fire Lord under Azulon’s reign. That man was a born leader and a keen strategist. He also showed no mercy, a trait that he inherited from his father and passed onto his son, Ozai,” he began.

“Where are you going with this?” Abi asked.

“I worked amongst the detention camps in the Earth Kingdom that held the citizens who were trying to move to Ba Sing Se. Many of the citizens who were there were women and young children and they didn’t receive the best of treatment from the soldiers,” he explained.

Abi nodded her head, understanding what type of treatment they would’ve received. The Fire Nation was notorious for being tough on women and children. Some foreign men were even taken into the Fire Nation army, but most women were just abused and left to fend for themselves.

“Keep going,” Abi urged.

“I never fully supported the Fire Nation’s goal for supremacy. I firmly believed that Fire Lord Sozin’s original intentions were to only spread our peace and wealth amongst the other nations, but it ended up being twisted into something worse. I finally opened my eyes when I realised just how badly the women and children were being treated in those detention facilities. I wanted so badly to help them, but there was nothing I could do. I was only an imperialist with very little authority. I tried to help them as best as I could by applying for stricter laws on their treatment, but they never went through. Finally, I’d had enough of sitting by and letting it happen. I went straight to Fire Lord Azulon and demanded that he gave those people the proper care and treatment that they deserved, not what he felt was enough,” he continued.

“I can imagine that he wasn’t too happy with that,” Abi muttered.

Osamu nodded, “He said that they were peasants and that it’s what they deserved and that it was our way of showing our supremacy over the other nations. I thought that it was ridiculous and stood my ground, defending those innocent civilians who had no way to defend themselves. Azulon said that by siding with those ‘peasants’ as he called them that I’d betrayed my nation and there was only one punishment suitable for my actions.”

Her eyes widened in realisation. “You were banished, weren’t you?”

Osamu nodded. “But only from the Fire Nation military and the Capital City. I’d lost my rank and all of my work had been for nothing. I couldn’t get a decent job or live in the Fire Nation because of my status as a traitor. I realised that there was no point in me staying in the Fire Nation, so I decided to banish myself from the place entirely. I’ve spent the past seven years of my life in this area, helping injured citizens. I even rescued some of the women and children from the detention facilities before sending them to Ba Sing Se. My life certainly didn’t turn out how I intended it to, but I’m glad that it did because I was able to see the error in my ways and fight for what I believed in.”

Abi couldn’t help but look at Osamu with admiration. He’d had the courage to stand up for what he thought was right, regardless of what the consequences were and had made a difference in not only his life, but others as well. Even if they were peasants. Abi knew that she’d never possess that sort of quality, since she was more of a follower than a leader. It wasn’t that she was useless, she just didn’t like leading people less competent than she was. There was another thought that crossed her mind after Osamu’s confession, since there was something about it that didn’t make sense to her.

“Why didn’t Azulon just banish you from the Fire Nation all together?” Abi wondered.

“I’m not entirely sure. Even I didn’t understand it. I think that it might’ve been because of the service that I had put into the Nation, but I’ll never know. Azulon certainly wasn’t as heartless as Ozai is. He’d punish his children, but not scar them and banish them on an endless quest,” Osamu noted.

“I think I can understand that. I still can’t believe that you had the courage to stand up to the Fire Lord, of all people. I’m not sure if even I could do that,” Abi admitted.

“Believe me, it was the most nerve-wracking experience of my life. I thought for sure that he’d execute me himself, right then and there but I was glad that he didn’t. So, tell me. What brings you out here?” he asked.

“I’m on a mission,” Abi answered truthfully.

“What sort of mission?” he asked.

“A Fire Nation mission,” Abi said.

He chuckled. “You’re not going to tell me the entire truth, aren’t you? Very well. Let me guess, you’re out to capture the Avatar?”

Was this guy psychic or something? He seemed to know everything about Abi before she even said it. Or maybe she just wasn’t as good as hiding things as she thought she was. Abi didn’t like that thought.

“How’d you know that?” Abi asked.

“I’ve been around long enough. Plus, I’ve heard rumours of the Avatar’s return. And there’s no other foreseeable reason why someone of your status would be out in this area,” Osamu replied.

“Okay, you must be some type of mind reader or something,” Abi muttered.

Osamu chuckled. “Maybe I am. So, if I have my facts right, you were instructed under Colonel Daisuke?”

Abi nodded her head. “Yes.”

“And what was that experience like?” he asked.

Abi struggled to find the right words. “Let’s just say, he had some unorthodox methods of training.”

Osamu nodded his head. “I’ve heard. I met one of his past students a few years ago, actually. He was seeking refuge from Daisuke himself after the mentor had mistreated him so poorly.”

Without even thinking, Abi nodded her head, understanding what that must’ve felt like. There were so many times when she’d wanted to leave Daisuke, but she could never seem to do it. She was nine when she first tried to run away from the Tatakai Stronghold. Abi could remember it vividly, since it had been one of those times where Daisuke had reduced her to a pile of nothing.

She had made it to the front gate and had just managed to climb up it, only for Daisuke to yank her down and berate her for trying to escape. His words that day had sent shivers down her spine, even now as she remembered them.

_Nobody escapes me, nobody! You’re stuck here with me forever whether you like it or not!_

Forever was such a long time, and so far Abi had been with him forever. Even now that she was in the Earth Kingdom, Abi was still with Daisuke since he had been the one to send her out here. Abi knew that she could easily abandon Daisuke and do something else with her life, but she didn’t want to put herself through anything that would warrant Daisuke’s rage.

Like every other time she had broken one of his rules, Daisuke had reacted harshly. He had burned her leg, and it had taken it over a month to fully heal. At least he hadn’t burned her face like Ozai had done to Zuko. Abi shuddered at that memory, since she had been right there in that audience and had watched as Ozai burned his own son. She could still remember Zuko’s screams of pain.

 “He was harsh to you, wasn’t he?” Osamu asked, bringing her back to reality.

“Yes, he was. But it was what I deserved. I needed someone to keep me grounded and Daisuke was that person. He’s made me who I am,” Abi said, trying her best to sound proud.

“Nobody deserves that sort of treatment. Nobody. You deserved better than that. Now look at who you are and what you’ve become,” he said.

Abi glared at him. “You don’t know anything about me. You don’t know what I’ve been through and what I’ve had to deal with so why don’t you just shut the fuck up? Thanks for the game.”

With that, Abi got up, gathered her stuff and left Osamu’s house in rocket speed. She didn’t care if it was pouring with rain or if there was thunder and lightning or not. All Abi knew was that she refused to be interrogated like that anymore. But Osamu clearly wasn’t one to bow down as he followed her outside.

“Abby, I only meant that for you to really understand yourself you have to really think about the person that you are and what you’ve done up until this point,” he called after her.

Abi turned to face him. “I know who I am. I’m a stone-faced, cold-hearted, conniving, deceiving, calculating, ruthless, malicious, manipulative and insensitive bitch. But you know what, I’m proud of it. In fact, I embrace it. Without all of that, I’d have nothing. It’s who I am and what I was always meant to be!”

“But is that really what you want? Is this really the life that you want to lead? Are you really happy? For once, don’t let someone control your decisions. Think what you think, not what anybody wants you to think! Is that really what you want?” Osamu asked.

For once in her life, Abi was speechless. She didn’t know how to react. In all honesty, Abi didn’t know what she wanted with her life. She didn’t know what she wanted to do. Deep down, she’d always felt that something was missing from her life and she’s tried to keep it buried for so long, but all of these dormant feelings are beginning to rise again and all they did was confuse her even more.

“I don’t know. I honestly don’t know. I don’t know what I want or what I want to do with my life. I know who I am now. I can hardly even remember that person that I was. That person was an innocent, naïve and foolish child. Now, I’m anything but that. But I don’t care. This was who I was born to be,” Abi said as convincingly as she could.

“Abby, what did he do to you to make you so twisted and corrupted?” Daisuke asked.

“It wasn’t him. It was me. I grew up,” Abi replied as she remembered the moment that changed how she approached things with Daisuke.

She had been ten which meant that she had spent half of her life with Daisuke. Abi was struggling to keep up with his training regime and was beginning to reach her breaking point. As much as Abi had wanted to make him proud and to not be a disappointment, it just wasn’t what she had truly wanted. But every time that Abi ever messed anything up, he berated her by calling her a worthless piece of nothing.

If there was anything that Abi hated being called, it was worthless. There was just something about being called that word that made Abi’s stomach turn. And she think that Daisuke knew that too, since Abi made it obvious how being called that affected her. After being called worthless one last time, Abi finally snapped. Instead of snapping at Daisuke, she snapped with her training.

Ever since then, Abi became far more dedicated than she had ever been. She refused to be called a worthless piece of nothing because she knew that she wasn’t. As Abi became more successful and did what Daisuke wanted without difficulty, he refrained from calling her a worthless piece of nothing. The punishments stopped, and Abi was allowed to view the Tatakai Stronghold as a home instead of a prison like it had always been.

“He made you into a monster,” Osamu said.

Abi laughed bitterly, “Maybe you’re right and maybe he did. But it doesn’t matter. There’s no going back now. The person that I once more is nothing but a distant memory. Who I am now is who I was always meant to be.”

“But you always have the chance to rewrite your story. It doesn’t have to be like this if you don’t want it to be,” Osamu said.

“Even if I didn’t want this, it’s not like I can change anything now. I’m in too deep to go back. I’m beyond redemption,” Abi argued.

“There’s always a chance. Nobody’s ever unredeemable. Everyone deserves a second chance. It all comes down to whether you want it and if you’ll take it and run with it or not,” Osamu insisted.

“I think I’ll pass,” Abi scoffed.

Osamu sighed. “Until that day, please, come back inside. You need some rest.”

Looking back at Osamu, Abi sighed before following him back into his house. She didn’t do it because he wanted her to, she did it because _she_ wanted to. Abi was the only person who made her decisions. Nobody ever told her what to do, regardless of what Osamu thought. It was her who decided to track down the Avatar. She could’ve easily refused Daisuke’s offer, but she didn’t.

Abi was proud to say that she could by her own decisions and accept her fate, even if it meant a life of unhappiness. That superficial bullshit didn’t even matter to Abi. Happiness was overrated anyways. Nothing ever mattered to her. That’s just the type of person that she was. She was Abi, the Dragoness. Cold-blooded and unreachable to anyone else. And she was perfectly fine with that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, now this is officially the longest chapter that I’ve ever written with over 4000+ words and eleven pages long. I’ve never even written this much for school, yet here I am writing a long ass story. You have no idea how many times I wrote Azula instead of Azulon before realising that I did and changing it. If you feel that Abby was OOC in comparison to how she’s been so far, I get that. This is just the beginning of her character development. In case you were wondering how old she was in the dreams/flashbacks, here’s the chronological order; 7,8, 8 and 9.
> 
> Osamu is a Japanese name meaning discipline. For those wondering, he’s 35-years-old and lived his whole life in the Fire Nation before his eventual banishment. There’s also a subtle message in his story that’s not explicitly there but it’s there.


	14. What Lies Beneath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly put this off for a bit before forcing myself to write it so that I could get ahead of the plot if that makes any sense. This chapter takes place sometime between the Fortuneteller and Bato of the Water Tribe.

Abi’s time with Osamu was well and truly short. As soon as the storm had calmed down, she was quick to leave the mans house. He’d found out more about her than she’d ever let anyone else know and that was something that Abi didn’t like. If she had stayed any longer, he could’ve found out even more about her and there were just some things about herself that Abi didn’t want people finding out.

After leaving the small village in the middle of the night, Abi’s plan was to continue heading north through the Earth Kingdom. She hoped that maybe somewhere along the way she could catch a rid since she couldn’t travel on foot forever. Abi had the stamina to reach the North Pole, but she wasn’t sure in what time. After all, there were some things that you just couldn’t predict.

As luck would have it, Abi hadn’t encountered any problems since her run-in with those Earth Kingdom swine in that forest and she didn’t plan on having any anytime soon. So long as Zuko and Zhao stayed out of her way, Abi should be fine. She’d put all of her focus on tracking down the Avatar, choosing to forget about the confrontation that she’d had with Osamu.

It had only been a few minutes that Abi had known Osamu before he was able to read her like an open book more than anyone ever had. Abi refused to let something like that happen ever again. The next someone offered her their help, Abi would refuse it. She saw no purpose in companionship and attachments since they only brought trouble. Abi would always remain the same, heartless bitch that she’d always been. A few meaningless words weren’t going to change who she was. Nothing would.

One thing that Abi still had was her Black Widow alias. It was something that she’d only ever use if I couldn’t do something myself, like when she stole those documents from the Pohuai Stronghold. The Black Widow has made numerous appearances over the years. The first few times she was merely doing what she had to do for her own advantage. Abi only wore the black cloak to blend into the darkness of the night since that was when she’d make her appearances and she wore the mask to hide her face. Eventually, they’d called her alias the Black Widow, which she felt was an appropriate title. Almost as if the universe was waiting for the Black Widow to make an appearance, a perfect opportunity presented itself to her.

Wondering through a forest through the north-eastern side of the Earth Kingdom lead Abi to a large bulletin near the forest. Abi examined the board, looking to see if there was anything worth seeing. She caught sight of the Avatar’s wanted poster and even a poster that she’d come across before; the Blue Spirit’s. There were multiple rumours about the Blue Spirit that had reached Abi. Reports stated that he was an expert in dual swordsmanship and hand-to-hand combat. According to the rumours, his latest appearance was at the Pohuai Stronghold where he’d freed the Avatar from Zhao’s prison. The Blue Spirit was considered an enemy to the Fire Nation and there was a high reward at almost ten thousand gold pieces for his capture.

Those weren’t the only posters that caught Abi’s eyes, though.

Right below the wanted poster for the Blue Spirit, was a poster for _her._ Well, not necessarily her, but the Black Widow. Abi read the writing on her poster, word for word.

_Wanted: the Black Widow. This criminal has made a resurgence once again and most recently stole top-secret documents from the Pohuai Stronghold. She’s a criminal and must be disposed of immediately. Her exact identity is unknown but ignore the rumours that she is a spirit or a ghost. She is a skilled swordsman and proficient in hand-to-hand combat as well as other methods of fighting. If you encounter her, waste no time in bringing her to justice. Hunters be cautious!_

It seemed as though Zhao had realised that Abi did still his precious documents, which had to have pissed him off. Abi figured that it wouldn’t take him too long to realise that they’d been stolen and that he’d most likely do something about it, which he did. Abi guessed that she’s officially made it if she had her own wanted poster. That’s something that she never thought she’d achieve but hey, go figure.

Ignoring the rest of the details written on the bulletin, Abi continued heading in her intended direction. She assumed that there must be some town nearby since they didn’t normally put bulletins in the middle of nowhere. Abi continued her journey until she caught sight of a Fire Nation campsite near a river. If she remembered correctly, there was a town nearby and she figured that they must’ve been preparing themselves to invade it.

They seemed to be preparing their defences and readying themselves for a fight. Abi also took notice of the numerous supplies that they had including weapons, explosives and even some clothes. She smirked to herself as an idea began to form in her head, and she disappeared from the tree that she was standing near and headed back into the forest, waiting for darkness to fall.

~*•°•*~

When night arrived, Abi was quick to execute her plan. It was rather simple, really. All she was going to do was ambush their site and take as many of their supplies as she could get. What Abi was doing was perfectly reasonable. Abi didn’t always come across a market or shops on her travels so there were times when she had to resort to stealing and this was one of those times.

Abi was quick to descend down the rocky cliff that stood over the site. Once she reached the bottom, Abi used the stones in the small stream to get herself to the other side. As she got closer to their site, she noticed that there were hardly any soldiers around which would work perfectly to her advantage.

Entering their campsite had been easy enough, but she did catch the soldiers who were awake by surprise. Their faces immediately turned to fear upon seeing that it was her who was there.

“It’s the Black Widow!” one of them yelled.

“Let’s fight her!” another yelled.

Good plan, genius. Anyone who tried to get in _her_ way would be quickly expunged. And they were quick to learn that the hard way. Multiple soldiers came after Abi with their weapons and their fire daggers while she easily dodged their attacks. It was a small army of about twenty men and Abi took them on like they were nothing. They really stood no chance against her, even with their firebending and she had them all down in minutes.

Abi immediately gathered as many supplies as she could, even destroying some of their weapons to prevent them from coming after her. She ended up wiping out their whole campsite, sending almost all of their supplies down the river before disappearing once again like she always did.

~*•°•*~

After Abi had invaded the Fire Nation troops and their supplies, she continued heading in the direction that she’d been heading in before her little pit stop. As Abi continued walking, she caught the sight of a small village in the distance and feeling the need for a quick delay, she headed towards the village.

The closer Abi got to the village, the more defining features that she could make out. Abi took notice of the volcano in the distance and she figured that it must’ve erupted earlier since the ground was covered in rock lava. Maybe that meant that the village was abandoned. But Abi was quick to dismiss that thought as she noticed how the village was encased by a large rock that also had the look of lava. Other than that, everything seemed perfectly fine to her.

Abi’s curiosity once again got the better of her and she decided to see this village for herself and find out how this phenomenon happened because it’s not everyday that you see a rock like that covering a village. She walked into the village, noticing how it’s inhabitants appeared to be fine despite the environment that surrounded them. One of the villages took notice of her arrival and headed towards her. Instinctively, Abi grasped her sword in case she needed to use it.

“Nice day, isn’t it?” he asked calmly.

“Um, I guess,” Abi said.

“It’s a beautiful sight,” he said, pointing to the rock that covered the village.

“If you don’t mind me asking, how did that actually happen?” Abi asked.

“It was rather incredible. A few days ago, the Avatar showed up at our village,” he began.

“The Avatar?” Abi interrupted. If the Avatar had showed up at this village only a few days ago, then that meant that she was heading in the right direction.

He nodded, “Yes. His scientific friend was against our way of life, bashing our system and the way we lived. His other friend, though, was in love with the way our village worked and became a frequent visitor to Aunt Wu.”

“Aunt who?” Abi asked, confused.

“Aunt Wu, she’s the fortuneteller of our village. Every year we’d have the tradition of going up to Mt Makapu to see if the volcano would remain dormant or not. But when Aunt Wu came to the village, we abandoned that tactic and relied solely on her fortune telling,” he explained.

“Fortune telling? Seriously?” Abi asked.

“Yes. She would predict if whether or not the village would be destroyed by the volcano. When she did the cloud reading a few days ago, she predicted that it would not be destroyed but the Avatar and his friends were adamant that the volcano would erupt. The lava came flooding down to our village and almost destroyed the place, but the Avatar used his airbending to cool down the lava, saving our village,” he explained.

“So, I guess you’re fortuneteller was wrong,” Abi said.

He shook his head, “Aunt Wu said that the village wouldn’t be destroyed by the volcano and it wasn’t. She was right after all.”

 _Was this guy serious? Did these people really put all of their faith into that garbage known as fortune telling? How pathetic._ Abi thought.

“You really trusted some crazy lady with your lives? Even after she was proven to be wrong?” Abi asked.

“She’s not crazy. Aunt Wu has never been wrong before. You should see her and get your fortune,” he suggested.

Abi laughed, “I don’t believe in that nonsense. You shouldn’t either. It almost got you killed!”

“Just like you said, almost. Not entirely. Good day, miss,” he said before walking off.

Abi glared at the man as he walked off, annoyed by his ignorance towards his villages stupid beliefs. One thing she couldn’t understand was why these imbeciles put so much faith into something as barbaric as fortune telling. In her opinion, it was a load of bullshit. She suddenly heard footsteps from behind her and she turned around to see an old lady walking towards her. The lady’s hair was done in the most unusual fashion, making her almost look like a skunk.

“I’ve been expecting you,” she said.

Abi rolled her eyes. “You must be that crazy Aunt Wu.”

“That would be correct. Care for a reading, my dear?” Aunt Wu asked.

Abi shook her head. “I’m not wasting my time here anymore. If you’ll excuse me, I must be heading off now.”

And with that, Abi turned around and walked away but clearly this Aunt Wu lady couldn’t take a hint because she didn’t stop there.

“Up until this point, your life has been full of struggle, yet you remain fiercely determined even in the ultimate danger. You strive for perfection to be happy, only to feel lost and empty on the inside,” Aunt Wu said.

Abi’s eyes almost bulged out of my head and she immediately turned to look at the woman, narrowing her eyes. “What makes you say that, Aunt Skunk?”

“I can see your past in not only your eyes, but your face as well. You’ve been hurt but it’s only made you stronger. You’ve been misguided but soon you will face the truth and an inner conflict where you will be faced with a momentous decision that will dictate the rest of your life. Whichever path you take will have consequences for not only you, but everyone who you’ve ever encountered. My best advice for you, young firebender is to embrace the truth when it comes and to not over-calculate your decisions,” Aunt Wu said.

This was easily the most bizarre encounter that Abi had ever had, even more bizarre than the one with Osamu. He had acted like he knew who she was, but this woman was acting like she knew her entire future.

“Do what you think is best, not what others think is best. In order for you to bring peace and tranquillity to the world, you must first find it within yourself. The road ahead of you is challenging but it will only give you the power and the knowledge when you need it the most. I will leave you with one final word of advice, when things seem bleak and you think you’re at your wits end, don’t lose sight of your inner strength because it will get you through those times of darkness. I wish you luck, young firebender and may you be blessed with the fortune of Agni in your travels. Farewell, young one,” Aunt Wu finished before leaving Abi by herself.

Once Abi was left alone, she could still hear Aunt Wu’s words echoing in her mind. She was then quick to leave that ludicrous village behind her, wanting to keep moving so that she could eventually catch up to the Avatar. As she walked, Abi couldn’t help but ponder Aunt Wu’s words. What had she meant by a momentous decision? How did she even knew that Abi was a firebender? More importantly, how on earth did she know all of that stuff about her?

Abi always thought that fortune telling was the most ridiculous thing ever but after her encounter with Aunt Wu, she couldn’t help but think that maybe it’s not as far off as she once thought. For all Abi knew, there could well and truly be some truth behind Aunt Wu’s words and her future might be about to change for the better or worse. Abi knew that it was pointless to worry about her future now when that’s exactly what it was, the future. This was the present and she was who she was then. As for Aunt Wu’s predictions, Abi would just have to see for herself if whether or not they come true and if they did, it looked like Abi had some important decisions to make.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like most of the time I end up writing more than I intend to but it’s all for the purpose of the story. This might seem like a filler chapter and it is, but it isn’t since Abby does get some guidance from an unexpected source that will surely stay with her for a while. According to the Avatar Extras for the Fortuneteller, some of the villages in Makapu called Aunt Wu Aunt Skunk because of her hair which is where that name came from. A little hint on what’s to come: more conflict and confrontations but not like what you’ve seen before.


	15. Belonging to Something

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place during the Deserter. Prepare yourselves for another set of action-filled chapters to come your way starting with this one.

Not long after her visit to Makapu village, Abi put her focus back onto her mission at hand and continued heading north in the Earth Kingdom. She’d tried as best as she could to black out the words said to her by Aunt Wu and Osamu. At first, Abi dismissed what Osamu had said to her since she was fine with how my life was at the moment and there was nothing that Abi wanted to change but after her encounter with Aunt Wu, she was beginning to seriously consider the words that both her advisers had given her. Could there really be another possible path for Abi to follow? Was she really who she was meant to be?

As much as Abi tried to ignore those thoughts going on inside her head, they didn’t seem to get the message, but it could be her subconscious trying to tell her something. It was times like this when Abi hated having a conscious.

During her travels, Abi came across many Earth Kingdom citizens who ignored her most of the time. There were a few times when she received dirty looks and snide comments, but she’d learned to ignore them and to only attack if it was absolutely necessary. At one point, Abi walked past a small tavern on the north-western side of the Earth Kingdom.

When she headed towards the tavern, Abi caught the sight of a large, quadrupedal creature sitting outside the front and she couldn’t help but wonder what type of creature would be hanging around a seedy Earth Kingdom tavern. As Abi got closer, she saw a group of merchants harassing the creature. Abi could tell that they were merchants based on their behaviour and clothing. It seemed as though they were trying to render the creature helpless and it obviously owned to someone else, giving her the need to protect the creature. Abi might not be against stealing from Fire Nation troops but it’s only because they deserved it and she knew what happened to traded animals.

“Tie it up really good. We’ll make a fortune out of this thing,” one of them said as the creature stuck it’s tongue out, narrowly missing the merchant.

“It’s got a might tongue, that’s for sure,” another said.

“Hey, merchants,” Abi called, getting their attention.

“What do you want?” the first one asked.

“Doesn’t seem like that creature belongs to you and I don’t think it really likes you that much, either,” Abi pointed out.

The second one glared at her, “Well, I don’t see any owner now. Why don’t you just do yourself a favour and head off in a different direction and leave us to finish our job.”

“I didn’t realise that stealing was a job,” Abi said, drawing her sword from the scabbard around her waist. Her trusted sword was her most prized possession. The blade was made from strong iron, making it semi-transparent and the golden colour made it unlike any sword ever made. The hilt was a bright red colour, adorned with elegant jewels around the top. It truly was a sword unlike any other in the world, all designed by herself.

Abi’s sword seemed to catch the eye of one of the merchants, “Say, why don’t you give us that fancy sword of yours and we’ll back off.”

Abi glared at them. “No thanks.”

Almost immediately, she swung her sword forward, causing the merchants to take a step backward. They pulled at their own weapons and they engaged in a battle. Abi was able to effortlessly block their attacks, those months of training with Master Piando coming in handy. One of them was able to slam her into the door, but Abi got back on her feet and continued her assault. She noticed that one of the merchants was still trying to apprehend the creature.

Their battle continued until the door to the tavern slammed open and Abi turned to see a woman who looked slightly older than her standing there. She was dressed in almost entirely black clothes and had numerous tattoos on her body. The merchants took notice of her and their eyes widened in fear as she glared at them.

“It’s the bounty hunter! Run!” The third one yelled. The merchants were quick to flee the area, leaving Abi, the bounty hunter and the creature out front.

The woman shook her head, “Those merchants never know when to give up.”

“You know those guys?” Abi asked confusedly.

She nodded, “They’ve been trying to take Nyla for themselves for weeks now, but they never do.”

“Nyla?” Abi asked.

The woman walked over to the creature, cradling the creatures head in her arms. “My shirshu. He and I have been together for as long as I can remember. Isn’t that right, Nyla? So, what’s your name, Feisty?”

“Abi,” she replied, feeling strangely comfortable with her. “You?”

“June. Anyways, I guess I should be thanking you. If you hadn’t made all that noise, I wouldn’t have come out to see this mess and those merchants could’ve easily taken Nyla away. So, thanks,” she said.

“Don’t mention it,” Abi shrugged.

“Why don’t you come inside with me and I can get you a meal on the house? It’s the least I can do,” June suggested.

Having already used the supplies that she’d stolen from those troops and with no clear supplies in sight, Abi decided to take up Junes offer and followed her inside the tavern. Abi walked inside, taking notice of the loud music that the band was playing and how there seemed to be a fight going on in any corner. Nobody seemed to notice Abi, which relieved her since for once, she wanted to be in a place without having to defend herself. June didn’t seem to mind Abi’s appearance as well, since it was obvious she wasn’t from the Earth Kingdom.

“June, good to see you again. What can I get you?” the bartender asked.

“Give me your best meal on the menu for my friend here. Put it on my tab,” June said.

The bar tender nodded. “Coming right up.”

June turned to face Abi, “Well, I’ll leave you to it. Thanks again, Feisty for what you did. And if you ever need a favour, hit me up. Nyla can smell a rat a continent away.”

Abi nodded, accepting her offer and she left the tavern. It was now her by herself and she looked around, taking in the appearance of the tavern. It was definitely not the most quiet place that she’d ever been to, with all of the cheering and music that made it impossible for Abi to hear her own thoughts, which she was glad for since lately her thoughts seem to be doing battle with each other. In a few short minutes, the bartender returned with her meal and she began eating the food, not even caring what was on the plate. It was a free meal and those were hard to come by.

“How do you know June?” the bartender asked Abi.

“I don’t really know her. I just helped her creature back there and she offered me a free meal,” Abi replied.

“You helped her out? Wouldn’t have thought you’d do something like that considering you’re Fire Nation,” he remarked.

“You got a problem with that?” Abi narrowed her eyes, not even bothering to ask how he knew that when the answer was obvious.

“Why would I? Business is business and I don’t throw customers out unless they cause too much of a hassle. Besides, I get plenty of your kind coming in here cause of all the colonies that are around,” the bartender said.

“And do you have a problem with that?” Abi wondered.

“Not at all. A lot of those folk are more than happy with the arrangement, since some of them have been there for generations. A couple of my staff are even Fire Nation. Of course, they’re not around right now cause of the Fire Day’s Festival,” the bartender replied.

“The Fire Day’s Festival?” Abi repeated.

“You know, the festival that comes by to the colonies every now and then. It’s supposed to give the Fire Nation citizens a taste of home, so a couple of my staff have headed off to check it out in the nearest town,” the bartender explained.

“Which town?” Abi asked.

“The nearest one,” the bartender remarked. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a tavern to run.”

Left by herself, all Abi could think about was this Fire Days Festival. She knew it was a travelling festival that went to all the Earth Kingdom colonies, but she hadn’t expected it to be up and about right now. The festival was supposed to give those away from home a taste of the homeland, and thinking about that made Abi miss her old life. As exciting as hunting down the Avatar was, she was constantly in another land that she wouldn’t be in for any other reason.

Taking that into consideration, Abi decided that she would go to the nearest colony to see if she could experience a bit of the Fire Day’s Festival and to hopefully remember what it was like to be a Fire Nation citizen. Maybe then she wouldn’t feel as empty as she did now.

~*•°•*~

There was a long history of the Fire Nation colonies. Most people thought that they had been put into place after the war began, but there were actually a few of the colonies that had been there before the war started, like Yu Dao. At first, Abi hadn’t understood why there needed to be a need for the colonies, but Daisuke had always told her that it was to help spread their greatness anymore. Daisuke had never given her a reason to doubt his logic, so like everything else, Abi believed it.

The closest colony was Hai Kara, so Abi wasted no time in getting there so that she could experience the Fire Day’s Festival. There was supposed to be endless amount of entertainment and Fire Nation food, which was definitely something that Abi missed. Although she had only been gone for about two months, it had felt like a lifetime.

Upon entering the colony of Hai Kara, Abi had expected to be hit with a wave of relief or a feeling of belonging now that she was in a place connected to her home. Only when she did walk into the bustling colony, she felt nothing. At first, Abi didn’t understand why she wasn’t feeling anything. She almost felt like she didn’t even belong. But then Abi thought that had to be because it was a colony consisting of Fire Nation _and_ Earth Kingdom people. That had to be it.

“Come on, come all to the Fire Day’s Festival! Enjoy your taste of home away from home as we’re here for a limited of time only!” a man yelled at the entrance.

Just like the festival, Abi would only be here for a limited time only. She had more important things to do than waste her time with such nonsense, and she was only here now to entertain her thoughts. The first thing that Abi took notice of was the kiosk store that was selling a variety of masks before Abi realised that almost everyone here was wearing one of these masks. So that she wouldn’t stick out like a sore thumb, Abi swiped one of the masks while the stall owner wasn’t looking. She wasn’t going to spend money on something that she was only going to use once.

As Abi walked around, she couldn’t help but notice how a few people were wearing variations of her Black Widow disguise. That confused her, since the Black Widow was supposed to be an enemy of the Fire Nation so it didn’t seem appropriate to be wearing those kind of masks around here. Another thing that caught her eye was a large blow up doll with the mask of the Black Widow on it. But the doll wasn’t just standing there, since all of the kids around were hitting it repeatedly with sticks.

Underneath her mask, Abi cringed at the sight. Now this was the reception to the Black Widow that she would’ve expected. The worst part came when they finally broke the doll and all sorts of treats and candy came pouring out. Now, Abi didn’t exactly know what was going on inside of her but she knew for sure that she wasn’t full of candy and sweets. Blood and guts, perhaps, but not candy and sweets.

“Uncle, I don’t want to waste my time at this stupid festival! I have more important things to worry about!” a familiar voice exclaimed.

Turning around, Abi wasn’t surprised at all to see Prince Zuko and General Iroh amongst the festival goers. It seemed as though they always crossed paths in the most unlikely places. Then again, this wasn’t much of an unlikely place since it was a Fire Nation festival and they were both Fire Nation.

“Calm down, nephew. We’ll only be here for a few hours before we’ll return back to the ship so we can resume our search,” Iroh reasoned.

“Any search after now will be pointless! We know that the Avatar was last spotted nearby and if we wait any longer, he’ll be gone,” Zuko protested.

 _So, the Avatar is nearby? Maybe I should blow this festival and seize the opportunity while Zuko is here._ Abi thought to herself. She hadn’t heard any concrete news on the Avatar’s whereabouts since the temple, and she was willing to trust Zuko’s word more than anyone else’s.

“Then I’m sure we’ll catch up with him later like we always do. Now stop being such a spoil sport and enjoy the taste of home,” Iroh said.

That seemed to be enough to keep Zuko quiet, since he followed after his uncle as they disappeared into the crowd. Part of Abi was even wondering if Zuko was allowed to be here since he was banished from the Fire Nation and this colony was governed by the Fire Nation. Maybe if Abi blew the whistle on him, she could remove him from the picture for a while which would leave the Avatar for her to capture.

Since the prospect of getting Zuko out of the picture was too good to pass up, Abi decided that she might as well go to alert the closest authorities of his presence. If the authorities got a hold of him, that would make it far more difficult for Zuko to continue his search for the Avatar, and it would make Abi’s that much easier. Any chance to remove your competition from the picture was a chance worth taking.

When Abi found the closest authorities, she found a couple of soldiers huddled around together. Instead of immediately approaching them, she hid around the corner so that she could listen to their conversation in the hopes of finding some information.

“Make sure that you keep your eyes and ears open for anything suspicious. If you suspect that the Avatar is around or find any news in relation to him, I want you to report it right back to me. Do I make myself clear?” a familiar voice ordered.

“Yes, Admiral Zhao,” one of the soldiers replied.

If Abi’s eyes could’ve widened anymore than they did, they would’ve. It became alarmingly clear that the man surrounded by soldiers was none other than Commander Zhao, only they had referred to him as _Admiral Zhao_. When the fuck had that happened? Obviously it was a recent development, a development that Abi didn’t support whatsoever. There was no way that someone like Zhao deserved a title like Admiral. His head had probably grown ten times bigger now that he had that accolade. That title would give him all sorts of power, power that he could use against Abi to make her quest even more difficult.

Out of everyone hunting the Avatar, Abi firmly believed that she had the most work to do. She didn’t have an army of soldiers or endless supplies. She just had herself to get the job done which meant that in her eyes, she deserved the honour of capturing the Avatar more than anyone else.

If Zhao thought that his title of Admiral was going to get him the Avatar first, then he had another thing coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, this chapter turned out different then I intended it to. I ended up adding the bit with June in after I’d written the chapter. June’s favour to Abby will definitely pay off later on. I planned on having a little more action at the end, but I decided against it to save it for the next chapter. I won’t give too much away but Abby won’t be the only one making an appearance so until next time…
> 
> Rei is Japanese name meaning bell.


	16. Explosive Encounter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, there will be more action to come in this chapter and a few more reinforcements as you can probably tell from the title. It takes place directly after the last chapter so enjoy.

When Abi realised that both Zhao and Zuko were in the same premises as her, she knew that she needed to figure out what to do. She couldn’t risk Zhao finding her, since he would be quick to get her away so that she wouldn’t be a problem. Abi had to do that so Zhao wouldn’t be a problem, because he posed the greatest threat to her search. If Abi played this right, she could get Zhao on the wrong trail which would leave the Avatar all for herself.

A plan soon formed in Abi’s mind, so she decided to spread word of the Avatar heading off in the eastern direction. That way she could get Zhao off the trail and have him be somewhere else entirely. Zuko would be easier to deal with later, but right now Abi’s main focus was getting rid of Zhao.

Soon enough, Abi’s plan came into fruition and word was quickly spreading about the Avatar being spotted heading off in the east. Hopefully Zuko and Zhao would get the message, which would give Abi the perfect opportunity to get the Avatar for herself. One of her hopes was answered though, as she heard three familiar voices nearby.

“Aang, hold on! Where are we going?” the Water Tribe girl asked.

“I don’t know, but there’s a big crowd so it must be good,” came the reply.

“Knowing the Fire Nation, it’s probably an execution,” was a sarcastic comment.

Abi’s eyes widened as she recognised their voices, immediately recognising who they belonged to. It was clear that the Avatar and his followers had wandered into here, which was certainly not good for Abi with Zhao and Zuko in the same premises. They weren’t really wearing any great disguises, since although they had masks to cover their faces, their clothes were pretty distinguishable compared to the other clothes in the crowd. All Abi had to do was stay close to them and then wait for the right moment to strike.

Out of the corner of her eye, Abi noticed that they were being watched by someone other than her. There was a figure in a dark cloak lurking in the shadows, but Abi couldn’t see or do anything about it without causing a scene. Instead, she kept her eye on the Avatar and the cloaked figure as the Avatar pushed his way through the crowd to see what was going on. To Abi’s complete surprise, they had gone off to see a firebending magician performing. But it wasn’t just any firebending magician. It was Malu, the very first firebending master that Abi had faced off against in the first of her many tournaments.

Since his crushing defeat at the hands of a girl six years younger than he was, Malu had made himself scarce and Abi knew that he had become a firebending magician, but she hadn’t expected to find him at the Fire Day’s Festival.

“Thank you!” Malu exclaimed as he performed a trick that Abi had to admit wasn’t that bad. “For my next trick, I’m going to need a volunteer from the audience!”

As if they were asking for trouble, Malu had ended up taking the waterbending girl up onto the stage. Her mask covered her face with its feminine design while the two boys wore their own respective masks. Abi couldn’t help but notice how their masks matched what she had seen of their personalities so far, with the Avatar wearing a bright and smiling mask while the other wore a mask with a depressing smile with dark colours.

What happened next was even more surprising to Abi, since the Avatar had jumped up onto the stage just as Malu was about to perform his signature ‘Taming the Dragon’ trick. Instead of letting the trick happen, the Avatar had used his airbending to ‘save’ her while exposing himself at the same time. His airbending caused the firebending dispersing the flames into a ray of colours as he lost his mask in the process. The interesting thing was that just as the Avatar had jumped onto the stage, the hooded figure that Abi had spotted before tried stopping him. Or capturing him.

“Hey, you trying to upstage me, kid?” Malu hissed. The audience started to boo at him for ruining the trick, so he got the brilliant idea to do a goofy dance as the girls brother went to untie her.

“Hey! That kids the Avatar!” a citizen yelled.

“I think it’s time to go,” Sokka said as they caught the attention of the nearby officers and guards.

“Follow me, I can get you out of here!” the hooded figure said.

If Abi was them, she wouldn’t blindly follow someone they know nothing about, but Abi clearly wasn’t them as they had no problem following after the hooded figure. The guards also had no problem with chance after them, no doubt acting under Zhao’s orders. Abi wasn’t about to let them get in her way, so she too headed off after the Avatar.

“Okay, not this way,” she heard the hooded figure stammered as they came face to face with another set of guards.

They headed off in another direction, unknowingly in the same direction that Abi was waiting at. She could hear their voices getting closer, and Abi was waiting with anticipation for her chance to finally get the Avatar. When they rounded the corner that she was standing in, they instantly noticed her and Abi smirked at the fear that appeared on their faces.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me!” Sokka shrieked.

“So, tell me, who’s brilliant idea was it to waltz into a Fire Nation colony when you’re wanted by the Fire Nation?” Abi drawled.

“It seemed like a good idea at the time,” Aang murmured.

“Too bad your idea has lead you to your death!” Abi sneered.

Before they could react, Abi jumped into the air and firebended at them with her feet. The hooded figure tried attacking her, but Abi evaded his attacks by spinning herself around in the air. When she landed back down on the ground, Abi spun herself around and performed several spinning kicks, knocking them back with her fire. Just as she performed one, the hooded figure threw an explosive at her which caused an explosion as it collided with her firebending. The impact of the explosion threw Abi back against the wall, giving them the chance to escape.

Recovering immediately, Abi took off with them still in her sight. As she ran out to the public area as more chaos took place, dread filled her as she spotted Zuko running after the Avatar as well. Just when Abi thought that she had this in the bag and could’ve beaten them to it, the universe decided to throw another spanner in the works to make things even more difficult for her.

“Stop right there, Avatar!” Zuko yelled.

“How about you stop, Hothead!” Abi called, catching his attention.

“Abi, how lovely to see you again,” Iroh acknowledged her politely.

“What are you doing here?” Zuko demanded angrily.

“Catching the Avatar, since I’m actually allowed to be here because I’m not banished,” Abi taunted. “Now, if you’ll excuse me…”

Trailing off as she did so, Abi took off using her fire jets before she created a wall of fire to hopefully stop Zuko from going after her. She knew that it took an exceptionally advanced firebender to break through a wall of fire without getting burned, something that Zuko wasn’t. The Avatar was still running off ahead of her, so Abi created a fire whip and launched it at them before augmenting the fire around her to hopefully trap them so that they couldn’t escape.

Any attempts that Abi made were in vain as they disappeared down another corridor. Hopefully that corridor didn’t have an exit so Abi could hopefully trap them and have them right where she needed them. Just as she was about to follow after them, several guards appeared and Abi was stopped by a familiar voice.

“Stop right there, Abi. I’m sure that Daisuke won’t be pleased to know that you almost burned down a Fire Nation colony. This goes well beyond your jurisdiction,” was Zhao’s voice.

Without even bothering to turn around, Abi performed a swift kick before she propelled herself into the air, refusing to be stopped by Zhao. He immediately set his sights on her, creating a fire whip in the hopes of bringing her down. Abi easily avoided it as she darted from side to side and perched herself on a small post in a crouching position. She spotted the Avatar jumping across the buildings as the hooded figure and the peasants ran together on the ground.

Before she could head after him, she noticed Zuko climbing up onto one of the buildings, getting up there just in time to stop the Avatar from jumping to the next. Up next came Zhao, who cornered Zuko and the Avatar in the centre of the building. Wanting to join in on the action, Abi propelled herself into the air with the hopes of getting there in time.

“Well, well, well. What a night this has been for the Dragoness and the Banished Prince,” Zhao growled.

“Back off, Zhao! The Avatar’s mine!” Zuko declared.

“No, he’s mine,” Abi stated as she landed on the roof before getting into a battle stance.

“Isn’t this wonderful, all of us here together? You’ve all made this too easy for me to take all the glory,” Zhao smirked.

“You won’t be getting any glory today, Zhao! The Avatar is _mine_ and nobody else’s just like the glory that comes with it!” Abi proclaimed.

Zhao growled and got into a battle stance as well. The four of them stood opposite to each other on the roof of the building. Abi, Zuko and Zhao all glared at each other while the Avatar stood awkwardly in the middle. For a moment, nobody did anything. It was almost as if nobody wanted to make the first move. Then, Zuko’s eyes met Abi and the two of them looked at each other before nodding as they sent a powerful, combined blast towards Zhao who was caught by surprise. The Avatar tried to make a run for it, but Abi shot a blast of fire in his direction, cutting him off from escaping.

Refusing to back down, Zhao sent multiple fire jabs at Abi and Zuko but for once, the two of them were working together to deflect them. The two of them might want the Avatar just as badly as the other, but they also shared a common hatred for Zhao and you know what they say, combined hatred can make even the greatest enemies put their differences aside for a common enemy.

Zuko and Abi took turns in keeping the Avatar distracted, refusing to give him the opportunity to escape while not wanting Zhao to get the opportunity to take the Avatar for himself. The Avatar was clearly outmatched in a classic standoff with three on one but at the same time, it was two on one with Abi and Zuko working together to bring down Zhao. There was nothing that would satisfy Abi more than watching the man lose it all and be humiliated with an audience to see.

Zhao sent a powerful blast towards Abi, but she crossed her hands in front of her and took the blasts head on. She leapt into the air and sent her own blast of fire towards him with her feet. The two of them engaged in a one-on-one battle while Zuko kept the Avatar busy. Abi wasn’t sure if she could trust Zuko’s abilities enough to keep the Avatar still, but she was prepared to intervene if she needed to. Right now her focus was on Zhao.

“You should know better then to go against your superiors. Daisuke isn’t going to be happy when he hears this,” Zhao taunted.

Abi growled, “I’m not going to listen to you and your barbaric orders if I don’t want to!”

The two of them used their fire daggers to attack each other but thanks to her age and agility, Abi had the upper hand in that situation. She managed to twist Zhao’s arm around and let her fire come into contact with his arm, burning him. Zhao let out an ear-piercing yell as the flames came into contact with his skin. If this was an Agni Kai, Zhao had just lost and Abi was the victor.

 “You little wrench! You’re going to pay for that!” Zhao yelled.

Abi laughed mockingly at Zhao. “If this was an Agni Kai, you just lost. First Zuko and now me? You’re losing your touch, Zhao.”

He growled at Abi and sent a stream of fire towards her, while she used her own fire to protect herself. She suddenly heard the sound of a body collapsing on the ground from behind her and Abi turned to see Zuko crouching on the ground as the Avatar got his staff ready to take off. Not wanting to let him get away, Abi propelled herself into the air and went after him. As she did so, she sent multiple blasts of fire at the Avatar to halt his escape. When her firebending missed him, it went down and attacked the colony down below. There was no doubt that Abi would get in trouble for this, but as long as she caught the Avatar it didn’t matter.

“Nowhere to run now, Avatar. You can either surrender or I’ll finish you off right here, right now,” Abi threatened.

“No thanks,” the Avatar said.

He sent multiple blasts of air towards Abi but using her flexibility and agility, she was able to dodge his pathetic attacks. Abi leapt into the air with a blast of fire that she sent towards the Avatar, but he did a somersault, dodging her attack. Abi punched as many fire jabs towards him as she could, refusing to let him get away. If Abi was going to go through all of this effort and risk getting herself into a world of trouble, she wasn’t going to let it be for nothing.

The Avatar stopped his attacks and looked Abi straight in the face as they landed on the tallest building in the colony. “Please listen to me. We don’t have to fight. You have the power to stop this before it gets out of control and hurts anybody else.

Abi laughed wickedly. “You’re delusional, Avatar. In case you haven’t realised it yet, I’m a selfish bitch who only cares about her own selfish goals!”

Using his moment of weakness to her advantage, Abi sent another powerful assault towards the Avatar which caused him to slam into the pillar in the centre of the roof. Beneath her, Abi could feel the building that they were on starting to shake. She refused to let this stop her because it was only a matter of time before she succeeded in capturing the Avatar. He was quick to get up and started running in a circle, conjuring a tornado. Abi ran towards him with fire streaming from her fingertips. She was prepared to finish him off with one final strike.

But that’s when it happened.

The sound of explosive flames caught Abi’s attention and it took her a few seconds to realise that it wasn’t her firebending. It was somebody else’s and considering it was only her and the Avatar on this building, it had to be coming from down below. The building started to collapse underneath them and Abi was flung backwards by an explosion, getting her tossed and turned into positions that her body wasn’t supposed to be in. Abi tried finding something to hold onto, but there was nothing to hold onto as the building collapsed and the explosion sent her flying into the air.

Panic immediately struck Abi as she realised that she was falling without any protection. She tried to use her firebending to propel myself to safety, but she could hardly muster out a powerful enough blast with the condition that she was in. While she was plummeting to her death, the Avatar was making his escape on his flying beast. Abi closed her eyes, accepting that this would be her final moments until she suddenly felt a powerful blast of air get sent in my direction, causing her to land in the colonies water fountain.

With her hair all undone and messy in her face, Abi slowly got up from the water as she pushed it out of the way so that she could see what was around her. When she did, Abi wished that she had just left it like that and stayed at the bottom of the fountain. Because standing in front of her was a group of soldiers, a couple of pissed off looking citizens and of course, _Zhao_ with his stupid sideburns and even stupider smirk.

Based on the looks that she was receiving, Abi knew that this wasn’t going to be good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even though it only took me an hour, it felt like it took forever to get that chapter written. It’s probably because I was trying to look up the transcripts for the fighting sequences, so I could write them properly. I realise that this chapter is probably all over the place and probably makes no sense but it’s all for the purpose of the story. There was also some subtle foreshadowing in this chapter that won’t come into play until later chapters. Anyways, that was the last chapter before the North Pole episodes so get ready for some more action to come your way.


	17. Change of Plans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place during the Deserter before transitioning into the Northern Air Temple after the first break in the chapter. It’s leading up to a big moment in the story even if it might be a bit of a dull chapter.

Being trained by Master Jeong Jeong was certainly not how Aang had expected it to be. He’d expected to be learning some _real_ firebending, like the firebending moves he saw the magician perform in that town. Or even some of the firebending moves that he’d seen from Zuko, Zhao and that crazy firebender girl who seems to be after them as well. The girl was a mystery to Aang, since as much as they’d asked about her, there was very little that they knew about her, like where she was from or who she really was. All they knew was that she was an exceptional firebending master.

At this point in time, Aang was just trying to learn as much as he could from Jeong Jeong. Anything that Aang could learn about firebending would be enough for him, but Aang was barely learning anything from the firebending master. Right now, Jeong Jeong was taking Aang threw some basic firebending stances which only made Aang want to learn some real moves even more.

“Your stance is incorrect. You should know, Avatar, that poor stance leads to poor firebending and mastering your stances will help you master control,” Jeong Jeong stated him.

“What is the point of this?” Aang grumbled.

“Like I have said time and time again, in order to master firebending you must master control because you must be able to control your element in order to use it. You have shown very little control of your actions which leads me to believe that firebending certainly won’t be easy for you. There are some people out there who are natural prodigies who don’t even need to learn the basics in order to achieve what they want. Take the Dragoness for example,” Jeong Jeong said.

Aang narrowed his eyes, “Who’s that?”

“You don’t know?” Jeong Jeong scoffed. “The Dragoness is one of youngest firebending masters in generations. She was taught under Colonel Daisuke, one of the most ruthless men in the Fire Nation and he made her just like him. She has won numerous firebending tournaments and has certainly made a name for herself in her country. Anyone like you would be foolish to challenge her.”

“I would hate to cross paths with her then,” Aang remarked.

“You already have, Avatar,” Jeong Jeong replied, causing Aang to stare at him in confusion. “Who do you think is that firebending girl who has been on your tail across the Earth Kingdom? She is not just any random firebender after the Avatar.”

Aang’s eyes widened as he realised what Jeong Jeong was saying. The Dragoness was the girl who had intercepted them on their way to Omashu. The Dragoness was the same girl who tracked them down to Roku’s temple. She was the same girl who Aang had faced off against in that Fire Nation town only days ago. If what Jeong Jeong was saying was true, then it would be a while before Aang could get her off his back.

Why did he always have to have crazy firebenders after him? Why did he even have to be the Avatar at all? At least then Aang wouldn’t have to face this problem each and every day. Only now he had a new problem in the form of another crazy firebender, except this firebender didn’t actually want to kill him. He was just crazy.

~*•°•*~ 

Because of what her actions had gotten her into, Abi regretted setting foot in that Fire Nation colony in the first place. If she hadn’t, then Abi wouldn’t have gotten into trouble like she was now. Before Abi could’ve even gotten out of the fountain that she had landed in, Zhao quickly had his soldiers apprehend her and take her away. Abi was ashamed that she had allowed them to take her so easily, since she always put up such a great fight. What pissed her off even more was that Zuko had gotten away without even running to trouble like she had. He obviously deserved this sort of punishment far more than she did.

Speaking of punishment, Abi had just spent the past half an hour listening to Zhao raging at her for doing what she did. In her eyes, Abi hadn’t done anything wrong since she was simply doing the mission that she had been assigned. Only Zhao didn’t see things her way like he never did and was more furious than Abi had ever seen him. It was almost amusing seeing him like that, but Abi knew better than to laugh at him. She was already in a deep enough hole as it was.

Once Zhao had said enough, he left Abi in the tent that she had been taken to. As far as she was aware, Abi was on the coastline of the Earth Kingdom near a Fire Nation base. Now she was about to face whoever Daisuke had sent after her since Abi knew that he couldn’t just make a sudden appearance from the Fire Nation to the Earth Kingdom. Looking down at herself, Abi shook her head as she saw the cuts and bruises from the events in the colony. They hadn’t even given her any help at all. It was atrocious, after everything that she had done for her nation and they were treating her like this.

The curtains at the front of the tent suddenly opened and a middle-aged man walked inside. He was dressed in Fire Nation armour so Abi assumed that he was the one who Daisuke had sent after her. Without even bothering, he got right to the chase.

“I’m Colonel Masaru and I’m assuming that you know why I’m here. Abi, I believe it is. Yes, Daisuke has told me all about you. And has Zhao. Do you realise how much trouble you’re in, young lady? You’re facing serious charges now. Disruption of a community, trespassing and even treason! You could be arrested for this,” he yelled.

“Then why don’t you go ahead and do it?” Abi snapped.

Masaru glared at her. “Drop the attitude, young lady. You’re already in enough trouble as it is. However, lucky for you, you won’t be facing any dire consequences even though you should be.”

Abi raised eyebrows. “What’s going to happen to me then?

“I was getting to that. Now, I’m aware of Daisuke’s mission for you to capture the Avatar. I received a message from him yesterday. In that message, he told me to pass me this to you. As of now, you are temporarily suspended from your mission,” he explained.

Abi’s eyes widened in anger. “What? You can’t do that!”

“It’s not my orders, it’s Daisuke’s,” Masaru said.

“Well, he shouldn’t do that! I’m aware of the mess that I got myself into and I know I should have to face consequences for my actions, but I know I can get the Avatar I just need more time. I know he’s going to the North Pole. I can get there and get him,” Abi ranted angrily.

“Enough, child. Now, listen carefully. You will be going to the North Pole. But not to capture the Avatar,” Masaru said.

“Then why would I be going to the North Pole?” Abi asked.

Masaru glared at her. “You need to learn to hold your tongue, young lady. Just let me finish explaining and then you can speak. As I was saying, Daisuke has a different mission in mind for you. I’m sure that you’re aware of the threat that the Northern Water Tribe poses to our Nation. We’ve already destroyed their sister tribe but unlike those peasants, the Northern Water tribe has managed to survive the war. Their current leader, Chief Arnook has been left without a wife after her passing several years ago, leaving him without any successors to his title. You will be going to the North Pole, but to assassinate Chief Arnook. Only once you have successfully achieved that, you will be able to return to your previous mission. Failure to do so will result in your permanent return to the Fire Nation.”

Abi stood there, speechless at what Masaru had just said to her. First Daisuke wanted her to capture the Avatar and now he wants me her _kill_ someone? She might be a ruthless firebender, but Abi can honestly admit and say that she’s never committed murder. Sure, she’s seen people die right in front of her, but never at her hands. The thought of having to actually do that to someone sent shivers down Abi’s spine, even if it was just the chief of that lousy peasant tribe. Masaru looked at her, as if he expected a reaction and Abi was honestly struggling to find any words.

“Why?” Abi finally muttered.

“Because without a leader, their tribe will be thrown into chaos. They won’t have someone to order them around. They’ll fall into anarchy, giving us the perfect opportunity to strike. Normally I’d ask if you accept the offer, but you don’t really have that much of a choice,” Masaru said.

Abi sighed, “Fine, I’ll do it. When do I leave?”

“A boat is ready for you to leave tomorrow. It should take you about a week to make it to the North Pole, depending on the weather. You will be given enough supplies to last you the trip to and from. Now remember, either you complete your mission, or you don’t even bother returning,” Masaru ordered.

Sighing, Abi closed her eyes and nodded her head in defeat. Masaru then left her to ponder what he’d just told her. Abi was still trying to comprehend the thought of actually _killing_ someone in cold blood. Now, Abi didn’t have anything against stealing or hurting people to get her way but murder was something else entirely. That was just taking things a bit too far, even for her. But Masaru had made it clear that Abi was to either complete her mission, or to not even bother returning. As much as she didn’t want to, Abi didn’t have much of a choice. She was going to have to kill the chief of the Northern Water Tribe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter actually turned out shorter than I expected it to be. So, it turns out Abby really does have a human side after all. For the sake of this story, let’s just say that the world was lead to believe that Yue died after she was born. You’ll see how it all plays out in the next few chapters.


	18. Prime Target

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you would imagine, this takes place after the last chapter and around the Waterbending Master episode before slowly transitioning into it. Things are gonna be moving on a bit quickly now to catch it up to speed. The story really takes a turn in the next few chapters, though so enjoy.

There was hardly enough time for Abi to prepare for her departure to the North Pole and soon enough, she was heading towards her destination. Even if Abi wasn’t entirely pleased with the circumstances, she was just glad to not have to appeal to anyone to find her way of travelling. Abi tried her best blocking out those conflicting thoughts going through her mind, focusing on her mission at hand. Abi wanted to do what was best for her nation and if that meant assassinating Chief Arnook, then so be it.

From what she’d heard, the Northern Water Tribe was very different in comparison to it’s sister tribe. The North Pole was more cultured while the South Pole was the exact opposite, which would explain how their society had managed to deteriorate throughout the war. Abi wasn’t sure what to expect upon arriving at the North Pole, but she was prepared to do whatever she had to do.

The one downside to travelling all the way to the North Pole was the fact that Abi had to do it by _boat._ She’d never been a fan of boats, just the of being in them made her want to throw up, which Abi had already done several times since her departure. At least the ocean was Abi’s spew bucket. The weather had been decent most of the time, give or take a few light showers every now and then.

Abi could tell that she was getting closer to the North Pole when she caught sight of the icebergs in the ocean. She was well aware that sometimes the waterbenders patrolled their area, so Abi made sure to steer clear away from the obvious route, sticking to the western side of the iceberg zone. As she got closer to my destination, the cliffs in the distance became larger and Abi knew that it was only a matter of time before she got there.

Scenarios started going through Abi’s mind as she thought of different ways to make this work. She had to find a way to infiltrate the North Pole without being spotted by any of their civilians, otherwise it could jeopardise her mission. The smartest route for Abi to take was to dock her boat near the cliffs and then climb onto the top and make her way to the North Pole through the frozen tundra. Abi was glad that she’d gotten warmer clothes for this, since firebenders and cold don’t really mix will together, and she could already feel the cold air hammering against her. Abi couldn’t understand how anyone could live in these conditions.

Abi made sure to stay hidden behind the icebergs and kept her weapons close in case she was ambushed by those Water Tribe savages. She spotted a few boats around but none of them bothered her which was good for them and for her too. Soon enough, Abi’s boat reached the cliff and she left it hidden from view. Once Abi was sure that it was secure on the cliff, she pulled out her climbing utensils and used them to scale the cliff and climb to the top.

It was risky, since the ice could give way at any moment, but it was the only way for Abi to get to the top without jeopardising herself. At one point, it felt like the ice was going to crack and Abi held on for dear life, refusing to fall into the freezing cold water, knowing that she would most likely die from hypothermia if she did. Abi then recollected herself and managed to make her way to the top.

Once Abi made it to the top, she placed the utensils in the bag she had taken with her which also included her crossbow, that was her weapon of choice. Abi’s plan to assassinate the chief was rather simple. All she had to do was get a good aim of him before firing the crossbow, which had a sharp spear ready to be used. It would then make contact with the chief, killing him in the process and her mission would be successful. As long as Abi didn’t get caught, nothing could go wrong.

Things in Abi’s life certainly seemed to be going wrong lately and she couldn’t afford this to go wrong as well. If it did, Abi didn’t know how she was going to be able to face Daisuke after this. She knew that he was already furious at her after what happened in that Fire Nation colony. She would hate to have to think about how he would react if she failed this mission as well. Abi had already embarrassed him enough, and it was hard not to think about the times that she had embarrassed him in the past.

_The first time that Daisuke had really been disappointed in Abi was following her first meeting with the Royal Family. She certainly hadn’t lived up to Daisuke’s expectations based on how she had acted. It wasn’t her fault though, that blasted Fire Nation princess had just riled her up on purpose. At least Abi had gotten to beat her at her own game._

_“What were you thinking, behaving like a conceited brat?” Daisuke growled at her._

_“She was behaving worse than I was,” Abi shrugged. “I was defending myself and my reputation.”_

_“Just because someone isn’t in the right doesn’t mean that you should follow in their footsteps. You’re supposed to be the bigger person and stand your ground, especially against a younger girl,” Daisuke said._

_“So it’s okay for her to be a bitch?” Abi asked._

_“You shall not talk about the Fire Nation princess that way! Although she should know better than to behave like that, you are in no position to criticise her for how she acts when you are no angel either,” Daisuke replied._

_“I guess I can’t blame her, since she’s obviously learnt to be like that because of her father,” Abi remarked before she felt a stinging sensation across her cheek. It had taken her a few seconds to realise that Daisuke had slapped her._

_“How dare you talk about the great Fire Lord Ozai like that! I did not raise you to be disrespectful to your superiors,” Daisuke snapped._

_“Why should I be respectful to people who aren’t respectful to me?” Abi crossed her arms._

_“That is not how it works. You are supposed to respect those who are better than you and that is exactly what Fire Lord Ozai and Princess Azula are. They are better than you and will always be better than you unless you stop behaving like this fool you always are,” Daisuke berated her._

_“I’m not a fool!” Abi defended herself._

_“Only a fool is ignorant to their own misbehaviour,” Daisuke snarled._

_There was that look of disappointment in his eyes that Abi hated seeing. She’d been trying so hard lately to avoid seeing that look and she’d just gone ahead and asked for it be behaving like she had. Like always, Daisuke was right and it was her own fault that things were like this. She was better than that. She needed to do better than that._

The North Pole honestly didn’t look too far away from where Abi had left her boat, but it was still a struggle to push her feet through the heavy snow. Abi was really glad to have her warmer clothes on now, since she’d probably freeze to death in any normal clothes. It was also helpful having her breath of fire to keep her warm. She knew that it would get warmer as she got closer to the North Pole so that just motivated her to keep going.

After what felt like ages, Abi finally reached the tip of the cliff that surrounded the North Pole. She spotted an icy staircase that descended towards the village and headed towards it, carefully making her way down. The pathway was rather narrow and slippery, which meant Abi had to be extra careful, so that she wouldn’t fall. It took her a while to reach solid ground – or should she say ice – and Abi was relieved to do so.

Night was beginning to fall in the North Pole and Abi knew that she needed to find someplace to hide so that she wouldn’t be found. Abi assumed that the large building at the top of the village was their palace, which would be where the chief lived so she’d have to find somewhere close, but not too far away so Abi could still make her shot. She planned to complete her mission as soon as possible so that she could leave this frozen wasteland behind.

There were still a few people who were walking around, but none of them seemed to pay any attention to Abi. This time she was smart enough to trade her red Fire Nation clothes to a dark blue ensemble so that she could blend in easily amongst these peasants. She hated having to look like them, but Abi knew that sometimes you had to make sacrifices and this was just one of those. As Abi got closer to the palace, she kept her eyes open for anyplace for her to situate myself until she caught the sight of a rather tall building that overlooked the palace. It seemed to be within perfect striking distance which was good enough for Abi, so she quickly made her way towards the icy tower, while still maintaining a low profile since she didn’t want to be spotted by anyone.

The cold air brisked against Abi’s face which was covered by various cloths for her to stay warm. Only her blue eyes were visible. Every other part of her body was covered in some type of clothes, to keep her warm from the freezing cold environment that was from the North Pole. Abi would never understand how people can live in this place – she’ll never understand why anyone would _want_ to live in this place. It’s a frozen nightmare.

Abi made her way up the building, making sure that nobody saw her as she did so. If she was going to do this, she was going to do it right. Abi had realised that the building was in perfect view of the palace and it wouldn’t take a genius to figure out where the shot came from, so once she made her shot, she’d have to make a quick exit if she didn’t want these Water Tribe savages taking her hostage.

Soon enough, Abi ended up finding the perfect room with the perfect aim of the palace. She set up her crossbow so that once she spotted her prime target, all she had to do was fire it. Now all Abi had to do was wait for the chief to make an appearance and soon he’d be as good as dead. Hopefully then she’d redeem myself in Daisuke’s eyes.

“Looks like I’ll be here for a while,” Abi muttered to herself.

Hours had passed, and it was well and truly dark outside and the chief still hadn’t showed his face. Though, admittedly Abi had no idea what Chief Arnook looked like, but she figured that it shouldn’t be too hard to point out who the chief was. He’d without a doubt be more formally dressed than the other citizens and she’d read that the chief wore a necklace with a moon and several wales teeth on it so with that information, she should be able to spot the chief.

The palace doors finally opened, and a group of people walked out. Abi used her binoculars to get a closer look, keeping her eye out for anyone who fit the description of the chief. She ended up spotting a middle-aged man at the back whose outfit was much more formal in comparison to the others and he had a necklace around his neck, so she assumed that he was their chief.

Not wanting to waste anytime, Abi readied the crossbow so that it had the perfect aim on her target. Luckily for Abi, the chief had stayed in the same position for a few moments which gave her the perfect opportunity to strike and finish him off. She had my hand rested on the trigger, ready to deliver the final blow.

But that’s when Abi hesitated.

Her doubts from earlier suddenly came flooding black and as hard as she tried to block them from her mind, they soon overwhelmed her thought process and Abi wasn’t sure of anything anymore. Just the thought of killing someone with her _own_ hands was hard to process. But it’s what was expected of her and she had to live up to her expectations. But at the same time, it wasn’t really what Abi wanted anyways. For whatever reason, there was something holding her back from firing the trigger, even though she had the perfect aim to do so. My hand began to tremble, and she was losing focus, letting her thoughts take over. Abi don’t know why she couldn’t just get it over with and kill the chief, but for whatever reason, she just couldn’t.

A loud bang suddenly went off and Abi realised that she must’ve let her hand slip, causing the crossbow to fire the spear towards the group of people down at the palace. Abi looked up, wanting to know if her shot had been successful at hitting anyone. She felt a strange feeling of relaxation when she realised that everyone was alright, but now there was chaos and herds of guards racing all over the place, trying to find the shooter.

Abi knew that this would be the time to make her exit, so she just pulled herself together and _ran_ , not even bothering to take the crossbow with her. Abi could hear shouts coming from down below and she mostly ignored their voices until one particular sentence caught her attention.

“There’s the assassin!” somebody yelled.

Looking down, Abi could see that a group of guards were heading towards her. She turned up the speed of her running, wanting to get out of there as soon as possible. There must’ve been some waterbenders amongst them since there were multiple icicles that came after Abi, but she narrowly managed to avoid them. Numerous weapons were thrown at Abi and she used her sword to deflect their attacks. Abi managed to avoid almost all of them. Keyword, almost.

She suddenly felt a throbbing pain on her right wrist. Abi pulled up her sleeve and held back a gasp of pain as she saw her crimson blood trickle down her arm. The cut was in a diagonal line and it began to spread across Abi’s arm. One of their knives must’ve got her when she wasn’t paying attention. Another simpleton mistake.

Abi still had the issue of her pursuers to deal with and she knew that she had to find a way to avoid them if she was going to make it out of this in one piece. Realising that her blood would leave a trail to wherever she went, Abi ripped off part of the sleeve and tied it around the wound, stopping the blood from coming through.

Running seemed like Abi’s best option so that’s exactly what she did, refusing to look behind her and give those peasants the opportunity to apprehend her. Once Abi could no longer hear any footsteps or yelling, she stopped myself from running to catch her breath. Abi forcefully ripped off the sleeve that she’d tied around her wound. The blood came pouring out, dripping all over her clothes. There was no where for Abi to go to get this fixed, she was on her own and it was all her fault. Just one lapse moment of judgement cost Abi her mission and now she had a painful wound down her arm. It hurt more than the cuts and bruises already on Abi’s face, but she figured that it’s what she deserved for allowing this to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there you have it. It’s worth mentioning that by the time the chapter ended, the Waterbending Master had already taken place since it comes into play in the next chapter. Hope you guys enjoyed that and stay tuned for the next one.


	19. Unlikely Acquaintance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We’re nearing the end of Season One. This chapter takes place directly after the last chapter and it goes into the beginning of the Siege of the North Pole: Part One. It’s a bit shorter than usual but it’s leading up to another big moment.

Standing there hunched against a frozen pillar, Abi nourished her wounded arm as blood continued to come out. With no medical attention in sight, Abi had no way of healing her injury so all she could do was stop the blood from coming out. Abi knew from her training that the more blood you lost, the worse it was for your condition. Spotting a nearby stream of water, Abi headed towards it and dropped her injured arm into the water, knowing that it would help heal her injury.

As soon as she put it in, Abi could feel the coldness of the water but at that point in time, she really didn’t give a damn about how freezing it was. All she wanted was for her arm to heal. The longer she kept it in the water, the less feeling Abi could feel which she supposed was a good thing. At one point, she heard footsteps coming from behind her, so she instantly sprung into action, pulling out her sword and turning over, pointing it at the intruder while keeping her arm in the water.

“Take one step closer and you’ll lose your head!” Abi threatened.

All Abi could see was the shadow of the intruder and instead of taking her warning, they ignored it and made their way towards her. As they got closer, Abi realized that it was merely a young woman dressed in her Water Tribe clothes. She had expected her to arrest me or anything else, but the woman appeared to have a concerned look on her face as she spotted Abi’s arm hanging in the water.

“Please, my name is Nukka. I’m not going to hurt you. I want to help,” she offered.

“How can you help me?” Abi asked, raising her eyebrows.

“I can heal you,” Nukka replied.

Abi internally smacked herself for forgetting that some waterbenders possessed the ability to heal people. While her actions seemed genuine, Abi couldn’t bring it in herself to believe her intentions. She’d never been that great at trusting people she only just met.

“You don’t have to do that,” Abi said.

“Can I please heal your wrist?” Nukka asked, gesturing to her bleeding wound, which she’d since taken out from the water.

Abi shook her head, “No, that won’t be necessary. Besides, you wouldn’t want to anyways if you knew who I was and what I’ve done.”

Nukka sighed. “I can’t let you go in good conscience knowing that you’re injured.”

Looking down at her injured wrist and as much as Abi tried to deny it, the wound did hurt and there was nothing she could do to make the pain go away. One thing that would make the pain go away would be healing abilities.

“Fine, you can heal it,” Abi reluctantly conceded, stretching out her hand so Nuka could reach it.

Nukka gave Abi a small smile before she bended the water onto her hand and pressed it against her injured wrist. There was a slight stinging sensation at first, but Abi quickly got used to it. The firebender immediately felt the water tending to her wound until the waterbender lifted her hand and Abi saw that the bleeding had subsided. Nukka then pulled a bandage out from her coat and wrapped it around Abi’s wrist.

“There, how does that feel?” She asked.

“Much better,” Abi answered.

“I’m glad. May I ask how you got that wound?” she inquired.

For a moment, Abi thought about how to respond to that question. Telling her that she got it in a foiled attempt to assassinate her chief didn’t seem like a smart idea, so Abi just said the first thing that came to her mind.

“I got it in a sparring session,” Abi lied.

“You can fight? Lucky, you,” she said.

Abi raised her eyebrow in confusion. “What do you mean?”

Nukka shrugged, “Well, women in the Northern Water Tribe aren’t allowed to use their bending for fighting. We’re only allowed to use it in healing.”

Abi gaped at her, hardly believing it. She’d heard that the Northern Water Tribe was really set in their ways, but she didn’t think that things were that extreme. It made sense though, since all the books that she’d read about the Water Tribe only talked about male benders and warriors.

“Are you serious?” Abi asked.

Nukka nodded, “It’s been like that since the beginning. The men would learn to fight while we would learn to heal. It caused such a division in our tribe that a group of people left centuries ago to form their own tribe with their own customs and rules. Hence, the North and South Pole.”

A look of understanding morphed onto Abi’s face as she’d also read about the division amongst the two tribes but there really wasn’t that much information to go on since the Fire Nations sources on the other Nation’s were very limited. But it still astounded Abi how a civilization could be so divided.

“That’s stupid. Everyone should have the right to fight,” Abi argued.

“Try telling that to our government. We’ve tried to change the laws multiple times but there’s never been enough support,” Nukka said.

“And I thought that the Fire Nation was bad,” Abi muttered, but Nukka was still able to hear her.

“What do you mean?” She asked.

“Well, women in the Fire Nation can fight and serve in the military and that sort of stuff, even if they mostly serve in the homeland. But the government positions have always been dominated by men. In fact, I don’t think that I’ve ever heard anything about a female general or Fire Lord,” Abi explained.

“It’s always baffled me how women aren’t viewed equally as men, especially in our own society since we’re from the same species. Women can be just as strong as male benders and fighters,” Nukka lamented.

It was rare of Abi to understand how someone else could feel, especially someone like Nukka but in that moment understanding was all Abi felt. No matter how good her bending was, she always had to surpass the men to be even considered an equal. Even though Daisuke had always focused on Abi for whatever reason, she was always seen as worthless until her firebending started to significantly improve. It took months and even years of demanding work and dedication before Daisuke approved of Abi.

“I guess all Nations have their flaws no matter how much they might seem to preach their superiority,” Abi admitted.

“Exactly. We focus so much of our hatred and attention on what’s wrong with the Fire Nation that we don’t even take a moment to look at our own Nation,” Nukka said.

Abi looked at Nukka in admiration. Even though she was merely a few years older than her, they were both educated enough to acknowledge the wrongs in the world – and their own nations – which was often hard to admit. She’d always been taught that the Fire Nation was the most superior Nation in every shape and form, but Abi was beginning to see the error in their ways. It hadn’t dawned onto her until now, but the Fire Nation was no different than the other Nations.

“Although, our society does seem to be moving forward,” Nukka said.

“What do you mean?” Abi asked.

“For the first time in Northern Water Tribe history, a female was granted the right to learn waterbending as a form of fighting,” Nukka said.

“Really? Who?” Abi asked, interested.

“The Avatars friend. She’d came here demanding a teacher, but our master refused to teach her because she was a girl. She stood her ground and challenged him to a fight – which our master won of course. It wasn’t until he found out that she was the granddaughter of his once betrothed that he agreed to teach her,” Nukka explained.

Abi’s eyes widened in surprise, hardly believing it. Since the Avatars friend was in the North Pole, that could only mean that he was here as well. While Abi knew that the Avatar was sure to show his face around here, she hadn’t anticipated it being now.

“Good for her,” Abi muttered.

“Well, you look like you could use a good meal and a place to stay for the night. Would you like to come to my hut with me?” Nukka suggested.

Abi nodded, suddenly feeling the urge to eat and followed Nukka to her hut as a million thoughts raced through her mind. If Abi played this right, she’d be leaving the North Pole with the Avatar in her possession and she’d have Daisuke’s respect once again. The Avatar might have eluded her for now, but he wasn’t getting away from Abi this time, that’s for sure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that was the second last chapter before the season one finale which means that Abby comes face to face with the Gaang once again in the next chapter but that won’t be all so prepare yourselves for the big moment. I didn’t make up that stuff about the Fire Nation, since the Avatar Extra’s bonus commentary said that women in the Fire Nation mostly serve in the homeland while Avatar Wikia said that up until Izumi, there was no sign of any female ruler in Fire Nation history. I wanted to show that while Abby is an evil, conniving and ruthless firebender, she does know the faults in her own nation, so I hope that I did that without making her too OOC given what you’ve seen of her so far. Anyways, hope you guys liked that chapter and are looking forward to the next one; the last chapter for Book One.


	20. One Disaster After Another

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We’re in the twenties now for this story! Alright, so this my version of the season one finale with Abi in it. There will certainly be some action for everyone and I think that it will be a rather unexpected ending. It’s kinda messy but at the same time, it makes sense. Without further ado, here is the Siege of the North Pole.

Once Abi went with Nukka to her hut, the waterbender gave the firebender a warm meal of noodles and artic hen. Abi had never had Water Tribe food before and it was surprisingly decent. She spent majority of that night talking with Nukka and she learned a great deal about her. Nukka was only 19-years-old, making her three years older than me and she’d only been waterbending since she was 8-years-old. She was an expert healer and lived by herself, losing her mother when she was only thirteen and her father left the North Pole, only to never come back when she was sixteen. Abi had quickly realised that she and Nukka were a lot alike and that the waterbender had given her better hospitality than people from her own nation had – and that’s saying something.

Up until now, Abi had never realized how culturally advanced the Northern Water Tribe was. They truly were a civilization like none other, their own land was an icy fortress itself. Abi had never seen a place quite like it. But she didn’t plan on staying and admiring the scenery forever since after all, she had a mission to complete.

After her failed assassination attempt on Chief Arnook, Abi spent most of her time in Nukka’s hut while planning her next move. She knew that she had to think of something, since she couldn’t just leave without doing her job, otherwise Daisuke would never trust Abi again and Abi hadn’t worked so hard to build a somewhat stable relationship with him to let it be for nothing. It was strange though, living with Nukka while simultaneously planning the assassination of her own leader. It was basically like living with the enemy, even if it was hard for Abi to see Nukka as the enemy. She just had to remind herself that the waterbender would look at her just like that if she was to discover Abi’s true identity.

Nukka spent most of her time popping in and out of her hut, leaving Abi by herself which might not be the smartest move on her behalf, but Abi wasn’t going to argue against it. It just made things easier for her. But on one particular day, Nukka came running into the hut, panting and out of breath with a panicked expression on her face.

“What’s going on?” Abi asked.

“It’s the Fire Nation! They’ve closed in on the North Pole!” Nukka exclaimed.

Abi immediately stood up. “What? That can’t be true.”

“Unfortunately, it is,” Nukka said dreadfully.

Abi ran outside, pushing past Nukka in the process and looked up in the sky. Sure enough, there was soot falling from the sky, mixing with the ice and snow. She was well aware that soot was the first sign of a Fire Nation invasion and given the amount of soot that was falling from the sky, she’d say that this was going to be an invasion unlike none other.

“Why is this happening now?” Abi asked myself.

The timing just didn’t make any sense. Why would Daisuke send her on this mission when he would be well aware of this invasion taking place? There had to be something that Abi was missing, she just couldn’t figure out what it was.

“This is terrible. What are we going to do?” Nukka asked as she appeared behind me.

“I don’t know,” I muttered.

Deep down, Abi knew exactly what she was going to do. The wheels in her brain were already turning and Abi knew that the Fire Nation invasion would be the perfect cover for her. She could blend in with them as they fought before making her last move. Abi would worry about why this was happening now, since she had more important things to worry about. Like finishing what she had come here to do.

~*•°•*~

Hours had passed, and the Siege of the North Pole had well and truly taken place. Hundreds of fireballs were flung over the icy wall protecting the city, smashing into any building in sight. The impact of any of the fireballs was instant, shattering the icy buildings into thousands of pieces. There were hundreds of ships out at sea, although they hadn’t yet contacted the North Pole itself.

There were numerous waterbenders who were doing their best to defend their tribe. They were clearly determined not to let the Fire Nation have this victory. It was certainly a battle unlike anything that Abi had ever seen. Truthfully, this was her first time seeing any kind of conflict like this and it was exhilarating.

“This is terrifying. They’re destroying everything!” Nukka exclaimed from beside Abi as they watched the battle rage on from the roof of her hut.

“I guess that’s the downside to living in a frozen fortress,” Abi muttered.

“We can only hope that the Avatar can save the day,” Nukka said.

Abi’s eyes widened, briefly forgetting about the Avatar. If there was ever a chance for her to get the Avatar to herself, it would be now. All Abi had to do was find out where he was hiding and make her escape, but in doing so, she’d have to separate from Nukka, but the waterbender didn’t appear to be leaving Abi’s side anytime soon.

“Has the North Pole ever been invaded like this before?” Abi asked, genuinely curious.

Nukka shook her head, “They’ve tried, but never like this. We’ve been able to stand strong for the past hundred years and I just hope that our luck doesn’t run out now.”

As the two girls watched the Fire Navy ships continue their assault on the North Pole, Abi caught the sight of a large fireball that appeared to be coming closer and closer to where she and Nukka were standing.

“Nukka, look out!” Abi yelled.

Nukka’s eyes widened in realization and Abi pushed her out of the way before making a run for it as the fireball came crashing into Nukka’s hut, sending her flying backwards into the air. The force of the explosion was that hard that she ended up being slammed into one of the hard, icy walls that surrounded the North Pole. Abi could feel the frozen icy shards piercing through her skin and the impact was harsh enough that despite her best efforts to stand strong, it wasn’t long before the firebenders body gave out as she slipped into a state of unconsciousness.

~*•°•*~

Abi wasn’t sure how long she’d been out for, but it wasn’t long before her mind went back into place as she forced myself to sit up. She could feel a long gash across her forehead, which certainly wasn’t there before the explosion. Her previous wound from earlier had now reopened and the pain was there once again. Once Abi was standing up, she took in the sight of her surroundings and she was quick to notice that the Northern Water Tribe was in a worse condition than it was before. Dozens of buildings had been destroyed and Abi could see that the Fire nation soldiers had now invaded the North Pole as their troupes swarmed through the icy fortress.

Glancing at the sky, Abi could see that the full moon beginning to rise and it made her realise just how long she must’ve been out for. Abi was well aware that the waterbenders had exceptional power during the full moon and she knew that it was only a matter of time before the Avatar showed his face and that she’d have to find him before anyone else could. At this point, Abi didn’t even care that she was going against Daisuke’s orders. She just wanted to get the Avatar to herself and leave this frozen wasteland.

Springing into action, Abi forced her way through the icy fortress. There were hundreds of ruthless Fire Nation soldiers that were battling against the determined Water Tribe warriors. Abi had to make sure that she wasn’t spotted by anyone, even if she was currently somewhat unrecognisable. Abi couldn’t help but briefly think about Nukka, wondering if she was okay or not. But Abi quickly pushed those thoughts away and focused on her new mission at hand. As she made her way through the frozen wasteland which was now more than half destroyed, Abi spotted  several Fire Nation soldiers on their rhinos and when she realised just who was in the centre of the group, she felt that familiar feeling of hatred burn inside her.

Because it was none other than _Zhao._

Abi should’ve known that Zhao would somehow be involved with this. Especially since the Avatar was here and given his recent promotion as well. Just the thought of Zhao holding the title of _Admiral_ disgusted Abi. He didn’t deserve to have that title. Anyone but Zhao deserved that title. She then caught the sight of General Iroh sitting on one of the nearby rhinos and wondered why he, of all people would be working with Zhao, given his nephews association with Zhao.

“We’ll be following this map to a special location and when we get there, we’re going fishing,” Zhao said darkly.

Abi raised her eyebrows, wondering what on earth he could be talking about. She decided to stick to the shadows and follow Zhao to wherever it is they were going to. They continued heading towards the palace and she stayed closely behind them. They’d left their rhinos behind and headed towards a small, circular door.

“What are they doing?” Abi whispered to herself.

Zhao opened the door and lead General Iroh and the soldiers inside. Abi was quick to follow after them, just barely reaching the door before it closed. She instantly felt the relief of the warm heat and Abi wondered how on earth this could possibly be like it was. Abi made sure that she was hidden from their view so that they wouldn’t spot her. She briefly caught the sight of scorch marks on the grass and assumed that they were from an earlier battle.

“So, this is it?” General Iroh asked, almost hesitantly.

Zhao nodded, “The Spirit Oasis. And these, are the Moon and Ocean Spirit.”

Abi’s eyes widened in shock, hardly believing it. She’d read about the Ocean and the Moon spirit, knowing how they’d given up their immortality to become a part of the physical world and she guessed this was where they now resided.

“Once I remove the Moon Spirit, this battle and the world will be mine!” Zhao declared.

“What?” Abi asked loudly, before she could even stop herself.

Zhao, General Iroh and the soldiers all turned to face Abi as she revealed herself from where she was hiding.

“Well, if it isn’t the Dragoness. You don’t look so good,” Zhao said mockingly.

Abi glared at him. “You’re not gonna look so good either after I’m done with you.”

Zhao laughed menacingly. “You, stop me? Impossible. I never thought that I’d see the day when you’d turn traitor. I must say, I expected more from you.”

“I’m no traitor. You’re just insane! Removing the Moon Spirit for your own crazy plot of world domination?” Abi yelled.

“You’ve really stooped low now, haven’t you? Daisuke certainly won’t be happy when he hears this,” Zhao said.

Abi continued her glare. “Don’t you realise what will happen if you remove the Moon? It’s not just the Water Tribe that needs it. We _all_ need it. Don’t you know anything?”

“Then I guess we’ll just have to learn to deal without it,” Zhao said.

Abi growled and got into a fighting stance, ready to take Zhao on no matter what the cost was. But before she could even deliver a single blow, Zhao held up his fist in an attack position, but it wasn’t aimed at her. It was aimed at the small pond in front of him.

“You take one step closer and I will burn these fish to a crisp!” he threatened.

Abi looked down at the pond and back at Zhao, before sighing and bringing down her hand and surrendering. This was not something that Abi wanted to do, but she knew that it was the right thing to do.

“Smart decision. Soldiers, apprehend the Dragoness,” Zhao ordered.

The soldiers made their way towards Abi and shoved her hands behind her back and lead her to one of the nearby poles with rope in their hand before shoving her against it. Once she was tied around the pole, Abi couldn’t help but notice how General Iroh had disappeared and had wondered where he was. Surely he wasn’t going to just leave with Zhao planning to do who knows what?

“Gentle much?” Abi hissed.

Once the soldiers had tied her up, they made their way back to Zhao who glared at the fish in the pond. Abi watched as he shoved his fist into the pond, removing the Moon Spirit from its place and shoving it in a bag. All of the surroundings suddenly turned a shade of red and Abi looked up at the moon in shock to see that it had also taken the red colour. Zhao didn’t seem to mind the change of colours around him and instead appeared to be ecstatic.

“I am… a legend now! The Fire Nation will, for generations, tell stories about the great Zhao, who darkened the moon. They will call me, Zhao the Conqueror, Zhao the Moon Slayer, Zhao the Invincible!”

“Or how about Zhao the Narcissist,” Abi interjected, earning a deathly glare from Zhao and his soldiers. “What? It fits.”

“Why, you little-” he began before he was cut off by a flying lemur. Wait a minute… Flying lemur?

Abi looked up as Zhao and his men tried to get the lemur off his face before it flew back to its owner and standing there was none other than the Avatar, along with his Water Tribe accomplices, including a girl with platinum-white hair – who Abi had never seen before. They briefly looked at Abi before glaring at Zhao, ready to attack.

“Don’t bother,” Zhao said, holding his fist up to the bag which contained the Moon Spirit.

The Avatar’s eyes widened, lowering his staff as his followers surrendered as well. “Zhao, don’t!”

“It’s my destiny, to destroy the moon and the Water Tribe!” Zhao declared.

“Destroying the moon won’t hurt just the Water Tribe. It will hurt everyone, including you. Without the moon, everything would fall out of balance. You have no idea what kind of chaos that would unleash on the world,” Aang pleaded.

“He is right, Zhao,” A voice said. They all turned to see General Iroh standing there in between Zhao and the Avatar’s gang.

“General Iroh, why am I not surprised to discover your treachery?” Zhao asked calmly.

“I’m no traitor, Zhao, the Fire Nation needs the moon, too: we all depend on the balance. Whatever you do to that spirit I’ll unleash on you ten-fold. Let it go, now!” General Iroh demanded.

Abi couldn’t see the look on Zhao’s face and for a brief moment, he seemed to agree with the old General as he kneeled down before releasing the Moon Spirit back into the pond. The colour scheme returned to normal for a brief second. Zhao’s twisted desires must’ve overpowered him, because it wasn’t long before Zhao unleashed a slice of fire against the Moon Spirit. The blast must’ve been powerful enough to kill the spirit as the colour scheme immediately darkened, with everything turning black and white.

General Iroh recoiled from behind the flames, before sending multiple blasts of fire at Zhao. Zhao dodged and countered them with his firebending while retreating towards his firebending soldiers. General Iroh easily defeated them, while Zhao used this as an opportunity to escape. The old General then made his way towards Abi, cutting her free from her rope restraints. She ignored the looks that she received from the Avatar and the Water Tribe peasants. Their attention then turned to the dead Moon Spirit that lay in the water while the Ocean Spirit frantically circled around it. Iroh then picked up the dead Koi fish and he sadly looked down on it.

“There’s no hope now. It’s over,” The white-haired girl said.

Suddenly, the Avatar’s eyes and tattoos lit up, which Abi knew meant that he was now in the Avatar State, that she’d also read about.

“No, it’s not over,” he declared in the voice of all his past lives.

The Avatar then began to enter the pond, as the peasant girl tried to stop him and Iroh held her back. They all looked on as he stood in the meditative stance as the Ocean Spirit circles him before it’s eyes eventually light up. Suddenly, the Avatar descended into the water, taking Abi back by surprise. A blue lightning-like energy expanded from the oasis island and into the water around it. The oasis began to light up in the same blue colour.

They all watched on and Abi looked to her right to see the water force its way through the oasis. The energy moves to the edge of the oasis, rising up to form a giant amphibious-like creature, facing out toward the sea, with the Avatar controlling it in the centre. The creature then descended towards the city, unleashing a powerful attack against the Fire Nation, leaving the five of them in the oasis.

The annoying Water Tribe peasant glared at Abi, standing protectively in front of the white-haired girl. “What do you think you’re doing here?”

Abi rolled her eyes. “What does it look like? I was trying to stop Admiral Crazy from taking over the world!”

His sister scoffed. “Yeah, right. I find that hard to believe given the amount of times you’ve tried to kill us!”

“Just because I want you dead doesn’t mean that I don’t have any common sense! Unlike Admiral Jackass, I actually know the importance of the moon and how it extends to the Fire Nation as well!” Abi yelled.

Katara then got into a fighting stance and Abi prepared myself as well. They most likely would’ve engaged in a fight if Iroh hadn’t stood between the two enemies.

“Save the fighting for later. We have more important issues to worry about,” Iroh said sternly.

Abi glanced at the Southern girl. “Can’t you use your magic waterbending powers to save it?”

“It’s not magic, and my bending is the same as yours, just a different element. So, by saying that my bending is magic, you’re saying that yours is the same as well,” she argued.

Abi wanted to throw another insult her way, but she knew that it was pointless. They all looked down at the koi fish as it laid dead in Iroh’s hands.

“There has to be something we can do,” the white-haired girl said sadly.

“It’s too late, it’s dead,” Katara murmured.

Iroh glanced towards the white-haired girl. “You have been touched by the Moon Spirit. Some of its life is in you.”

She looked up, “Yes, you’re right. It gave me life, maybe I can give it back.”

“No, Yue! You don’t have to do that,” the Sokka argued.

“It’s my duty, Sokka,” the girl, Yue said.

“I won’t let you! Your father told me to protect you,” he said desperately.

A million questions were going through Abi’s mind upon finding out the name of the white-haired girl. Father? Who was she? She couldn’t possibly be the Chiefs daughter. As far as the Fire Nation was aware, the Chiefs daughter died after she was born. But she did say that the Moon Spirit gave her life. Maybe the spirit saved her life and they lead the world to believe that she’d died to protect her? Either way, it seemed like she was about to meet her end anyways.

“I have to do this,” Yue said.

The supposed Princess then walked towards Iroh, who held the dead Koi fish in his hands. She placed her hands on the Koi fish and it began to glow as she closes her eyes before she fell, and the Water Tribe peasant caught her.

“No! She’s gone, she’s gone,” he said sorrowfully.

Time seemed to stand still until the dead girl faded away and the Koi fish began to light up and glow. Iroh then placed the Koi back into the oasis water. The entire lake began to light up until the energy floated up into the air, forming an image of the late Princess.

“Goodbye, Sokka. I’ll always be with you,” she said as she lent in to kiss him.

They kissed as the Princess disappeared and they all looked up at the moon as it reappeared in the sky, bringing the normal colour back to life. Abi looked down at the peasant and she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of emotion towards him, yet she still couldn’t quite put her finger on it as she also felt an odd hollow feeling at the Princesses death for some strange reason. Iroh then looked towards Abi before glancing at the Water Tribe siblings.

“It would be best for us to leave now,” Iroh said to her.

Abi sighed, knowing that he was right. “Very well.”

The two siblings then glared at the Fire Nation citizens before stepping in front of them, blocking their path. After everything that she’d had to go through lately, Abi wasn’t about to put up with more of their nonsense.

“Let us past, you washed up peasants,” Abi demanded.

“No. We’re not letting you two go so don’t even think about it!” Katara said.

“Please, we promise not to engage in any battle. Just let us leave peacefully and we won’t harm you,” Iroh reasoned.

“I want to hear it from her, too!” Katara yelled, pointing a finger at Abi.

“Fine,” Abi said through gritted teeth.

“Katara, just let them go,” her brother said.

The waterbender sighed, “Fine. But you two better not show your face around here again or there’ll be trouble.”

“Don’t count on it, peasants,” Abi said mockingly.

“Abi, that’s enough. Now let’s leave,” Iroh said as he pulled her out of the oasis.

Abi could see that the sun was beginning to rise as the moon faded away. The two firebenders walked in silence until Iroh eventually spoke up.

“Do you have any method of transportation?” Iroh asked.

“Yes, I do,” Abi replied.

“Good. Now I must find Zuko. I wish you safe travels and I’m sure that our paths will cross again,” the General said.

“You’re probably right. Good day, General Iroh,” Abi said before bowing respectfully to the old master and bidding him farewell.

After that, Abi made her way towards the frozen tundra while avoiding any of the Water Tribe warriors and civilians that crossed her path. Most of them seemed to ignore her, as they were too focused on the rebuilding of their city. What was once a great stronghold was now merely a city of broken ice and snow. Abi could well and truly see the damage that had been caused by the Fire Nation’s assault, as well as the Avatar’s attack on the Fire Navy. There were hundreds of broken pieces of ship scattered amongst the ocean that were sure to sink to the bottom and remain there forever, as a permanent reminder of what the Fire Nation did.

As Abi trudged through the frozen tundra, she felt that familiar feeling of anger and disappointment towards herself. Once again, she’d let my emotions get the best of her, failing at her mission which was sure to go well with Daisuke. Like that was going to happen. Abi was going to have to find a different way to redeem herself in his eyes, even if it meant going against his authority.

Maybe she could use the Northern Princesses death to her advantage…

Abi descended towards her boat, which was thankfully still intact and had survived the siege. Once Abi was inside, she pulled the starting trigger and began her voyage away from the Northern Water Tribe. She kept her glance away from the icy fortress, refusing to acknowledge what she’d done during her time there. She was Abby, the iconic Dragoness, loyal to her Nation. She was by no means a traitor. Somehow, Abi would find a way to get herself out of this mess and things would go back to the way they were. The way they were supposed to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that’s the end of Book One. The next chapter will take place a few weeks after this, but before the Avatar State. I won’t be updating next week, to give me some time to write more chapters to get ahead of myself but updates between now and the end of the year might not be as consistent as usual. I’m really looking forward to sharing Book Two with you guys, especially since it’s Azula’s debut and I’ve got a lot of things planned for her and Abby which I’m sure you guys will enjoy. So, I’ll leave you with that and see you guys next chapter. Until then, please review and tell me what you think. You know I like those reviews.


	21. Lapse of Judgement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I now bring you the first chapter of book two with Abby in it. It takes place shortly before the actual events in book two: earth. It’s explained in the beginning, but I figured that I’d put a little disclaimer to make things clear so nobody’s confused about the time period. Anyways, enjoy the chapter.

Two weeks had passed since the events at the North Pole. Abi had spent over a week out at sea before arriving near the Earth Kingdom. Once she was at a port, Abi sold the boat for around fifty gold pieces to get her through a few weeks. Abi didn’t intend on taking it with her across the Earth Kingdom so there was no harm in selling it. Using her quick wit, Abi was able to spread a few rumours that she had killed the princess of the Northern Water Tribe. Hopefully, Daisuke would get the message and she’d be able to return to the Tatakai Stronghold. Abi wouldn’t go back unless he wanted her back, she was in no position to decide where she should go. That was all in Daisuke’s control.

Abi had heard that Zhao had also perished after the siege. Good riddance, if you asked her. Word had also spread about the siege to the Earth Kingdom in no time. Rumours circulated that Zhao was taken by some spirit, as well as how the Avatars assault on the Fire Navy took place. Most of these peasants seemed happy about Admiral Crazy’s demise, Abi included. At least now Zhao won’t be a problem for her anymore and she only have to worry about Zuko as her major competition. Abi hated Zhao anyways, so she felt no remorse for the late Admiral’s inevitable demise.

For days Abi wondered along the Northern coast of the Earth Kingdom, with no idea where to go. She knew that she needed to find a mode of transportation soon since the Avatar was probably aware of his impending deadline to master the four elements by the end of the summer. Abi was willing to bet now that he’d taken the time to study waterbending that he’d be looking for an earthbending teacher soon enough and Abi hoped that by some chance their paths would cross, and he’d finally be hers.

Using the money she’d got for selling the boat, Abi bought a pair of dark green pants and a brown tunic to go over it. They might’ve just been clothes, but to Abi it felt like she was betraying her nation. It’s funny how despite everything Abi had done, it was this that makes her feel like a traitor. As Abi trekked across the rugged terrain, she kept her eyes open for any information or opportunity that would be useful to her. Abi knew that’s what you sometimes had to do in situations like this, use everything you can to your advantage no matter what it is you have to do.

Abi ended up spotting a group of merchants far ahead. They appeared to have their own little shop set up and she realised how minimal supplies she had left. Abi still had around thirty gold pieces left from what she used to buy her clothes and basic supplies earlier. But now Abi was left with nothing but the clothes on her back and this was her chance to better her current position.

As Abi walked closer to the shop, she noticed how sleazy the merchants looked. They had tattoos all over their bodies and drinks of Agni knows what in their hands. For a moment, Abi hesitated on going towards them since they weren’t the type of people that you’d want to barter with, but they ended up noticing her anyways.

“Anything catch your eye, miss?” one of them drawled

“Not really. Do you have any survival tools like a machete or cooking utensils?” Abi asked.

The man rubbed his chin. “I think that can be arranged. How much you got?”

Abi knew what he was trying to do by asking her how much money she had, and she wasn’t going to fall for that trick. “Enough to buy me some supplies.”

He chuckled lightly. “Smart girl. Let me show you what we got,” he said, gesturing me to follow him.

“So, what do you have?” Abi asked.

“We got some daggers, a pot for food, fishing kit, some animal traps and even some clothing materials if that would interest you,” he said.

“How much for the fishing kit and the pack?” Abi asked.

“Hm, let’s say around thirty gold pieces,” he said, smirking.

“Thirty gold pieces for that? No way am I wasting on my money on something that should be way less than that,” Abi yelled.

He shrugged. “Suit yourself, then. I guess this means we’ll be bidding you farewell then,” he said before leaving Abi to herself.

Abi glared at him as he walked away. Who did he think he was? How dare he expect Abi to pay thirty gold pieces for something that is only worth a couple of silver pieces. It’s people like these merchants that disgusted Abi, upping their prices so that desperate people will give them all of their money. Abi refused to be taken advantage of like that. If anything, they’re going to be the ones who will be taken advantage of. Abi was going to get what she came here to get by any means necessary.

~*•°•*~

Hours passed, and Abi waited, watching in the trees for the right moment to make her move. She had to wait until all of them were gone so she could swoop in and take what she needed and go. All Abi was going to do was take the supplies that she needed to survive and then be on her merry way. They wouldn’t even know that she had been there until it was too late.

Once Abi saw the lights out at the front go out and heard nothing but silence for a few moments, she knew that this was the perfect moment to strike. Abi jumped down from the tree that she was hiding behind and headed towards their store. As expected, it was clearly uninhabited, and Abi was quick to force her way through the door, using er sword to break it through. Once she was inside, Abi scoured the shop and gathered as many supplies as she could, wanting to make it of here as quickly as she could. As Abi dumped all of the supplies into the bag, she failed to hear the footsteps slowly approaching the door until she heard a gruff voice from behind er.

“Well, well, well. Look what we have here,” They said, and Abi immediately recognised it as the man from earlier.

Sure enough, when she turned to face him Abi was indeed right. It then became a staring match as they glared up and down at each other before they were joined by two other men.

“You were right, boss. She did come back,” the second man said.

“And here she is, taking what doesn’t belong to her,” the third man sneered.

“Well I wouldn’t have to if you lot weren’t a bunch of sleazy scumbags,” Abi hissed.

The boss chuckled. “And you think that you’re so much better than us when you’re stealing a personal item.”

“I know that I’m better than you loathsome peasants. I’m more successful and renowned than you’ll ever be,” Abi said mockingly.

“Are you now? Well, I’m afraid that we’re going to have to do something about this,” the boss said, leaning over her.

“I’d like to see you imbeciles try,” Abi sneered and before they could even react, she pulled out her sword and flung it towards them.

“Don’t let her escape!” The boss exclaimed.

Abi just stood there as his entourage charged towards her, easily besting them. She had them on the ground before they could even make a single hit, leaving her and the boss standing face to face once again.

“I’m impressed, that is a magnificent sword you have there. If you were willing to trade it to us, I might be willing to let this slide,” he said, smirking.

Abi scoffed. “Like that’s gonna happen!”

The two of them engaged in a battle, thrusting their weapons towards each other. His curved hook-swords were hard to evade, since there was no telling which way they would go but Abi managed to stay on the offensive side, catching him off guard a few times. As they defended themselves, Abi failed to notice that the second henchman had gotten himself back up and was reaching for the nearest object.

The biggest mistake that you can make in a fight is ignoring your surroundings, even after they’ve supposedly been defeated, and Abi paid for that mistake as a heavy object came into contact with her head, sending her hurling towards the ground. Abi instantly felt the impact as her head pounded repeatedly and she hunched over in pain, trying her best to stay steady but failing miserably.

“Isn’t this nice? Men, take the intruder to her new home. She’s going to regret trying to steal from us,” the leader ordered.

Despite trying her best to fight them off, Abi fell backwards and was caught before being thrown onto the ground as they tied her hands and feet together. As they unceremoniously dragged her towards her new ‘home’ Abi couldn’t help but think this was her own stupid fault. She just had to let her pride get the better of her, only for it to bite her in the butt. And now it seemed as though Abi was about to suffer the consequences, but she wasn’t going to let that happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like Abby’s got herself in a bit of a situation now. Won’t spoil too much but I think you can get a fair idea of what’s going to happen next. I’ll see you guys next chapter.


	22. Bad Karma

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little warning, things get a little dark in this chapter. You can skip this chapter if stuff like beatings and other types of abuse make you uncomfortable because once this chapter is done, it’s over and I’ll be moving on to the next part of Abby’s journey. It’s a little subtle and nothing too graphic but it’s not that hard to read between the lines in this case. Just read with caution and if you feel uneasy, just leave it. You have been warned.

I wasn’t sure how long I had been out for and quite frankly, I had no recollection of losing consciousness so when my eyes started to open, and I felt a ringing sensation in my head, I was surprised to say the least. I forced myself to sit up, but for some reason I felt restrained and I groggily examined my surroundings. From what I could gather, I was in some room with a staircase leading up to the door. There were shelves around me, but other than that, it was pretty empty. As I looked around, the restraining feeling in my hands worsened and I glanced behind my back to see my hands tied together by some chain that dug into my wrists. I also realised that my feet were also loosely bound together. I tried forcing myself to remember what in the name of Agni happened to get me down here. A surge of dizziness swept through my head and I struggled to keep myself upright, before eventually collapsing onto the ground, hitting my head in the process.

And just like that, everything fell into place.

The store. The merchants. The ridiculous prices. My failed robbery attempt. The fight. Something hitting me on the back of my head. Losing consciousness. Those Agni forsaken merchants must’ve done something to me. When I get my hands on those scum, the things I’ll do to them. They’ll regret ever messing with me.

I forced myself up once again, feeling another wave of dizziness overcome me. I winced in pain as I sat up, trying to regain my self-awareness. If I was going to get out of this place, I had to be ready for when they came back to make my move. As if on cue, I heard the door from above creek open and footsteps descend down the stairs. I looked in their direction, but my sight was still hazy and all I could make out was a blurry blob.

“Well, look who decided to join us. I must say, I’ve never had someone of your status in my dwelling. It truly is an honour,” the man spat, with each word echoing in my ear.

“W-what?” I asked tiredly.

The figure chuckled. “That was a might hit you took back there. Serves you right for everything that you and your people have done to us and the world.”

I was flabbergasted. How could they possibly know who I was? Unless they were bluffing, trying to get me to admit to who I really was. I couldn’t really tell, since I could hardly make out their figure, which made it difficult to decipher if they were lying or telling the truth.

“Huh?” Was all I could muster out.

He chuckled again. “Don’t play the dumb card. Contrary to your nation’s propaganda, Earth Kingdom citizens are rather intelligent. So, the Dragoness, what brings you to this unruly part of the world?”

So they weren’t bluffing. They really did know who I was. But how? I managed to get my head back on straight, and I could recognise the figure as the boss from earlier, who I engaged in a fight with at the shop.

“Why would I tell you?” I hissed, wincing in pain is I did so. They really must’ve hit me hard, since I’d never felt this sort of dizziness before.

“Good point, brut. As you might’ve figured out already, you’re in no position to make orders or whatever it is you do on a day to day basis. Your hands and feet are bounded together, and they will stay that way. It’s time for someone to suffer the consequences for the Fire Nation’s shameful war and today is your lucky day. Simply treat me as your humble host and there shouldn’t be any problems. Good day, for now,” the man said before leaving me by myself.

I glared at him as he ascended up the stairs, before shutting the door. Looks like I’d be staying here for a while. I managed to crawl over to a bench and used it to stand myself up, giving me a better view of my surroundings. There was next to nothing in this room, apart from a few shelves with nothing on them. I couldn’t see any windows, so I assumed that I must’ve been in some underground cellar, which certainly made things easier for me. Not. 

I rationalised my options, before realising that I was in no shape to go into any fights and that my best plan for now would be to rest and regain my strength for when I did try to escape because if I was going to do that, I needed all of the rest I could get. I shuffled over to a spot in the corner before sliding down the wall and hunching up in a ball. I slowly closed my eyes and darkness soon surrounded me.

~*•°•*~

Five days had passed since I first regained consciousness and everyday felt like the same. I would wake up, the boss would greet me, throw in a few snide remarks before leaving his henchmen to have some fun with me. Their version of fun consisted of the things I’d only ever heard of happening in the most notorious Fire Nation prisons. I had bruises on all of the visible parts of my body, which hurt like Agni’s wrath. I had cuts all over my body and even a few burn marks. Before they’d have their fun, they’d always make sure that my arms and legs were properly bound together, as well as my mouth. On most occasions, they would leave me stretched out on a table, with my arms and legs tied to the corners. Sometimes they would leave me chained to the wall, right where the oil from the gas they pumped in dripped down onto me. Currently, I was left chained to the wall as the gas dripped down my forehead, leaving a stinging sensation throughout my body.

I was in a worse shape than I was the first time I found myself here. Looking back, it would’ve been smarter to try and escape the first night. At least then my body wasn’t covered in all kinds of injuries. I guess this was my karma and I was left to suffer the consequences for not only my actions, but my ancestors as well. But I did try to remind myself to stay focused and to not lose sight of the bigger picture. Things might’ve seemed bleak now, but I wasn’t about to let those scum have their way with me. They could beat me and ridicule me all they wanted, but I wasn’t about to let them do that to me. They’d have to personally drug me before I’d even let them get that far.

Sometimes I wondered if Daisuke had started looking for me, having decided that I belonged back in the Fire Nation. I’d hoped that they’d find me down here and take me back to the place where I truly wanted to be. Never once had I thought about my pointless search for the Avatar. Right now, all I wanted was to go back to the fortress, where I belonged. I wasn’t meant to be with the likes of these peasants. I was meant to be in the confines of the fortress, where I could train and do all the stuff that I wanted to do to my hearts content. 

The door to the cellar opened and the boss walked down the steps, but I refused to look him in the eye. I never did. He didn’t deserve that gratification. I braced myself for another round of their activities.

“Well, you seem to be coping just fine in these conditions. But I can assure you, things are only going to get worse. My men are getting impatient. They have other things planned for you today. I hope you enjoy yourself, since this is the one time you’ll ever be lucky enough to experience the joys of life like that,” he taunted before leaving me to myself once again.

My eyes widened, as I realised what was about to happen before they narrowed as a wave of determination swept through me. Their boss was about to regret giving away their plans. If I was going to get out from here, it was going to happen now. I glanced up at my arms that were bound together by the chains. Unfortunately, I wasn’t a metalbender, so I couldn’t just break free from my chains like this. Out of nowhere, an idea suddenly formed from my head. If I could just breath deeply, letting the fire leave my body, it might just be enough to melt the chains.

I calmed myself down and took a deep breath before letting the real breathing begin. Minutes passed, before I could literally feel the heat seeping past my body and through to the chains. It wasn’t long before the heat engulfed the chains as they began to disintegrate, releasing my arms from their confinements. I instantly hunched down, with my arms now free. I breathed a sigh of relief before focusing on the chains attached to my feet. I let out a breath of fire near the chains, which was enough to cause them to melt, fully releasing me from my chains.

In that moment, I’d never felt more energised and prepared in my life. Now it was the time to put my escape plan into action. I headed up the stairs, not even feeling an ounce of pain as I stood in front of the door. I took another deep breath, before I let out a powerful blast of fire, destroying the door in the process. I leaped through the rubble, taking notice of my surroundings. I was in a long corridor with multiple doors along it. I could faintly hear footsteps coming from around the corner and I figured that it must’ve been the bosses henchmen coming to have more fun with me. I prepared myself for the fight which was bound to happen once they realised that I had escaped.

“Did you hear something?” I heard one of them ask.

“Yeah, let’s be careful. She’s a feisty one,” the second one muttered.

I grinned, for the first time in five days. Oh, you sleazy merchants have no idea just how feisty I can be. They came around the corner and their eyes widened in shock as they saw me standing there.

“Hello, boys. Ready for more fun?” I hissed.

“She’s escaped!” The first one exclaimed.

Way to point out the obvious, genius. Using their momentary shock to my advantage, I charged towards them, easily overpowering them as they tried to apprehend me. I grabbed their own swords and shoved them into the nearby rooms, using their swords to lock them in. With them out of the way, I sped off down the corner, desperately wanting to find my way out of here until I remembered something important.

My sword.

I couldn’t possibly leave without it, I needed my sword to survive. I refused to leave it here with them. They didn’t deserve it. Throwing caution to the wind, I looked in every available room that I could find to see if my sword was there. It wasn’t in any of the rooms I checked until I finally found it, resting against the wall in one of the rooms. I eagerly ran inside and grabbed it, before I heard the sound of a door slamming from behind me.

“Looks like you’ve fallen into my hands yet again, you wretched rut,” The boss spat.

“If anyone’s fallen into a trap, it’s you, boss,” I spat.

I pulled out my sword, and so did he. We faced off, one on one, before he charged towards me. Despite being weaker than I normally was, I was still able to hold my own and avoid his attacks, even throwing a few of mine my own in the mix, catching him off guard. Our swords clashed in a heated battle for dominance. I narrowed my eyes in determination, refusing to let him get the best of me once again. He managed to push me back, before swinging his sword at me but I jumped onto the nearby table as his sword cut through it, before I leapt over his head and shoved him into the mess. I grabbed a nearby vase and smashed it over his head, for good measures and I couldn’t help but smile in satisfaction as his limp body lay in the mess of his own faults.

I quickly looked around me, before noticing a nearby window. Wanting to make a quick exit, I sped towards it and thrust my fist forward, unleashing a powerful blast of firebending, destroying it in the process. Without hesitating, I jumped out before using my fire jets to propel myself into the air. As I flew away, I took one last glance at the place where I’d suffered Agni’s wrath before heading in a completely different direction. It was safe to say that I knew how to harbour a grudge and I had more than a grudge against those pathetic merchants. If I ever see them again, I’ll be sure to make them sorry they ever crossed my path. But I wasn’t going to hold onto what they’d done to me, I was going to leave it in the past where it belonged. I’d suffered my karma and the way I saw it, it gave me the excuse to start fresh and this time, I’d bounce back better than ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well there you have it. I tried to be as vague as possible when writing the descriptions of the torture. The ending of this chapter turned out differently then I expected it to, since I wanted to focus more on Abby’s suffering but she’s a strong player as she is now, and I figured that it would take more than that to break her. Anyone notice how the showdown between Abby and the boss sort of mirrored the showdown between Aang and Zuko in the Avatar Returns? That wasn’t intentional, but I realised it as I was writing it and decided to go with it. Anyways, that chapters done and dusted so stay tuned for more.


	23. Trials and Tribulations of Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I said at the end of the last chapter, the next chapter in Abby’s journey starts now. In this chapter she not only meets a new person but an old friend as well. For the purpose of the time period, this chapter takes place directly before the Avatar State.

Days had past since the incident involving those Agni forsaken merchants. Since I’d managed to escape, I’d tried my best to ignore what had happened during my brief period of captivity while trying to tend to my wounds. If I was going to track down the Avatar, I needed to be in the best shape possible since I’m sure he’s had some time to be far from an amateur in waterbending which makes my job that much easier. Not. 

After everything that had happened recently, all I wanted to do was just capture the Avatar and return to the fortress. I wasn’t made for this type of work. I was more than just a bounty hunter. I was the Dragoness, firebending extraordinaire. I was yet to hear any update on my position in the Fire Nation after the siege of the North Pole, but I figured that I’d find out sooner or later.

As I trekked through the rugged terrain of the Earth Kingdom, this time I kept to myself. I refused to let something like that happen to me again. I would never make that mistake again. I guess the only positive thing about it is that it leaves room for improvement, to make me a better fighter and a stronger person. For now, my plan of action was to resort to my initial strategy, keeping my eyes and ears open for any window of opportunity.

Currently, I was making my way through a large forest, with tall trees that stretched above me. My legs felt weak as I carried myself through the forest. The scars and bruises from earlier were still etched across my body, but I did a decent job of covering them up. I tried not to think about them, since they were a reminder of my weakness and I preferred not to think about myself like that. I was strong, determined and could handle anything thrown at me. 

After the pain in my back from the whips became too much, I decided to sit down and rest for a while. I needed every ounce of rest that I could get if this mission was going to be successful. I leaned against the tree and began to drift to sleep, until I heard a slight snapping noise from around me. Immediately, I got back up and drew my sword. I squinted my eyes, before hearing another noise from my left. This time, I swung my sword forward, unleashing a blast of fire from it in that direction.

I heard a loud fall from behind the bushes and instinctively, I slowly headed towards that direction and peered over the bush, spotting the body of a middle-aged man lying on the ground as he rubbed his back.

“Agni, what a fire you have. I certainly wouldn’t want to be in the same ring as you,” he muttered.

My eyes widened. That voice… Why do I remember it from somewhere? As the man got up, I took notice of his body and the clothes on him. It seemed like an eternity passed before he turned around and I couldn’t help the gasp that escaped my mouth as I recognised who it was.

“Osamu?” I asked hesitantly.

“Good to see you remember me, Abby. You certainly look a lot different than the last time I saw you,” Osamu said, gesturing to my appearance.

I wasn’t even surprised that Osamu pointed that out since he seemed to notice everything about me. I couldn’t blame him, since this time I wasn’t dressed in my Fire Nation attire and I probably looked like I’d been through the Iron Maiden.

“Things have indeed changed since then,” I muttered.

Osamu glanced closely at me, almost as if he was trying to see deep inside of me. “How have you been since the last time I saw you?”

“I’ve had better days,” I muttered.

“I can tell. You certainly look like you’ve been through a lot since our last encounter,” he noted.

If only he knew how right he really was. One thing for certain was that I was in no way going to tell Osamu what had happened to me. I didn’t need his, or anyone else’s pity or comfort. I could take care of myself just fine.

“It’s been what, almost three months since we first met? Of course, things would change,” I said.

Osamu nodded. “I guess you are right.”

“So, tell me. What are you doing out here now?” I asked.

Osamu preceded to sit down on a nearby log and gestured for me to join him. “I never really liked staying in the same place anyways. I prefer to travel and spread my wings, especially now that I can actually do that. I might be Fire Nation, but I see myself as an Air Nomad at heart.”

“Well, I’m Fire Nation through and through. There’s no question about that,” I muttered.

“I have to ask you something. I heard of your role during the siege of the North Pole,” he began.

I raised my eyebrows. “And what would that be?”

“Well, I’ve heard different stories. There was the one that you ended up helping the Avatar and then there’s the one where you… killed their princess,” he said.

I inwardly smirked to myself. It looks like my message did spread after all. If it makes it through the Earth Kingdom, it might just find it’s way to Daisuke and I could finally go home.

“I could’ve killed their chief, since that was what I was originally assigned to do after the factory incident with Zhao that I’m sure you also heard about. I wasn’t in the right position to get the job done, but once I’d followed Zhao and his men, our paths crossed with the Avatar, including the Northern princess who we all had assumed died at birth. It turns out, the Moon Spirit gave part of its life to her, so she could live, and they told the world she died to protect her. There was a confrontation, we engaged in battle and I ended up taking the princesses life, with no regrets at all. Zhao also killed the Moon Spirit, but the Avatar went into his Avatar State and preceded to wipe out the entire fleet. I left between that time period and I’m glad I did because I probably would’ve been taken just like Zhao was,” I explained.

“But… you took someone’s life? How could you live with yourself knowing that?” he asked, stunned.

I narrowed my eyes. “Don’t act all innocent. I know that you used to be a part of the Fire Nation army, so you’ve probably taken way more lives than I have.”

Osamu looked at me directly in the eyes. “The difference is, I regret every life I ever took and every family and village I ever ruined. If I could go back and change everything, I would take it in a heartbeat. But would you?”

“I wouldn’t. It’s what I had to do and now the Fire Nation is much better off. I have no regrets,” I replied.

“Well, it’s good to see you in a relatively good space,” he said.

I shrugged. “I feel no different now than I did at our first encounter. So, anyways where do you see yourself going next?”

“Wherever the wind takes me. I’ve learned to embrace the element of surprise in my life. I could ask you the same question. Wouldn’t you be back in the Fire Nation after the siege?” Osamu asked.

“Well, I haven’t really heard anything from Daisuke, so I’ll go back once I’ve been told to. For now, I’m continuing my search for the Avatar. I haven’t seen him since the North,” I replied.

Osamu looked at me carefully for a moment before he spoke again. “There’s something about you that I can’t quite put my finger on. It’s different than what I remember from the first time we met. Are you sure you’re doing okay?”

I nodded reassuringly. “I’ve never been better.”

He sighed. “You remind me so much of myself when I was your age. All I wanted to do was go to the war and fight for my nation, to be a hero when all I was was a spoilt, self-entitled prick. I almost wish that I played no part in the war, but I can’t go back and change anything. Just like everyone else, I’ve lost too much from this war. I lost my home, my respect and even the love of my life. But I guess that’s the trials and tribulations of life itself. Sometimes you have to lose everything before you can truly find yourself.”

That part got my attention. I never would’ve expected something like that to come from Osamu. But then again, he’s proven to just be full of surprises.

“The love of your life?” I repeated.

He nodded. “I was 25, so a little over ten years ago. I met a young woman who was in one of the detention camps that I had been working at. She had been used and abused more than anyone should be. That was the first sign when I started to realise that what we had been doing was wrong. She was terrified of me when we first met, but she eventually learned to open up to me and I did the same. Along the way, I fell in love with her. I tried to save her, but I couldn’t. I gave everything to her, but then I was transferred to another camp. Once I was declared a traitor from the Fire Nation, that was the first place I went to find her. But she wasn’t there, and I was devastated.”

I felt a strange swelling in my heart at that. Was this what pity felt like? If so, then I could feel was pity towards Osamu. But his sob story didn’t change the fact that he’d done all of those things. Like they say, you can’t change the past.

“Did you ever see her again?” I couldn’t help but ask.

Osamu shook his head sadly. “Never again. I assumed that she must’ve been killed because the reason behind my transfer was that someone had discovered our relationship and the guards weren’t allowed to involve themselves with the prisoners. I only wish that I could see her again.”

“What was her name?” I asked.

“Dhatri. She was beautiful, one of the most enchanting women that I’d ever met. Before I met her, I never really knew what it felt like to be in love. And I knew that I’d probably never feel it again after her, and I was right. Nothing could ever replace the way I felt for Dhatri. Now everything that I do and everything that I fight for, is for her,” Osamu explained.

All of this talk about love and emotions was starting to make me feel uncomfortable. I was never really one to talk about my feelings, unless it was my hatred for other people. 

“As romantic as this is, I should be moving on now. It was good seeing you again, Osamu,” I said as I got up.

“I understand. It was great to see you again as well, Abby. Take care of yourself and remember what I said to you when we first met,” Osamu said.

Without saying anything else, I bowed respectfully to Osamu before we parted ways. In all honesty, it was good to see Osamu again, especially since this time he didn’t ridicule me as much as he did last time for my last choices. I didn’t need anyone telling me what was right and wrong when I already knew the difference. But as I headed off, I couldn’t help but remember my first conversation with Osamu and his words echoed through my head.

Is this what you really want?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a filler chapter, I know. In all honesty, I didn’t really plan on writing Osamu back into the story at this point in time, but I felt that it was necessary for future development. Fun fact: I actually finished editing chapter 13, Hidden Scars the same time I was writing this chapter since I had to go through it a few times. Anyways, see you guys next chapter for more drama so stay tuned for that.
> 
> Dhatri is a female name of Sanskrit origin that means earth.


	24. Self-Destruct Mode

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright so a few chapters ago in Prime Target, I mentioned how I lost a few of the chapters that I had written, and this was one of them. It really pissed me off cause they were crucial parts of the story and you’ll see why but I guess shit happens sometimes and I should’ve checked carefully to make sure that I had all of my stuff backed up so it’s my own fault. Anyways, this chapter takes place sometime around the Avatar State episode so read away.

_Previously, on Blinding Horizon…_

_“What brings you to this port, Abby?” Iroh asked._

_“Just on a little expedition,” I replied. It’s not a total lie. I thought to myself._

_Zuko gave me a look. “Really? Didn’t you once say that you’d never set foot on this pathetic soil?” he asked._

_“Who says I have to like it?” I asked._

_~*•°•*~_

_“Why are you interested in flying monsters, miss? In fact, you don’t look like you’re from around here,” the lady said, gesturing to my attire._

_I looked down at myself and realised that she was referring to my Fire Nation uniform. I wore a dark, long-sleeved, eggplant coloured shirt with a red vest over it that had gold trimmings, matching dark red pants with a split skirt, our renowned pointy shoes with gold trimmings and black bracers and fingerless gloves. I scolded myself for making a mistake like that and I knew that I had to think of something quick before they exposed me._

_~*•°•*~_

_I balled my fists and headed towards the shop and at that exact moment, a middle-aged man walked out of the shop, shutting the door behind him. I stood in front of him with my hands on my hips._

_“Peasant. Tell me something, have you seen a monk with orange and yellow clothes with two Water Tribe peasants?” I asked, more like demanded._

_The man turned to face me, startled. “What business do you have here, Fire Nation scum?”_

_I laughed bitterly. “I’m the scum? You’re the one who lives in dirt. Peasant.”_

_“You have no business being here. Get the fuck out of here and never come back,” he growled._

_I gritted my teeth and lit a fire on my palm, keeping it steady. “Wouldn’t it be a shame if something awful were to happen to your precious store.”_

_~*•°•*~_

_“Hello, miss. What is someone like you doing in a rural area like this?” he asked._

_“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked._

_“It’s just that, you don’t look like someone from around here,” he said, gesturing to my outfit. I made a mental note to find something else to wear, since that was always how people identified me as Fire Nation. But I wasn’t going to back down from him. If he wanted a fight, I’d give him a fight._

_~*•°•*~_

_She was an expert healer and lived by herself, losing her mother when she was only thirteen and her father left the North Pole, only to never come back when she was sixteen. I came to realise that she and I were a lot alike and she’d given me better hospitality than people from my own nation had – and that’s saying something._

_~*•°•*~_

_After everything that had happened recently, all I wanted to do was just capture the Avatar and return to the fortress. I wasn’t made for this type of work. I was more than just a bounty hunter. I was the Dragoness, firebending extraordinaire. I was yet to hear any update on my position in the Fire Nation after the siege of the North Pole, but I figured that I’d find out sooner or later._

_As I trekked through the rugged terrain of the Earth Kingdom, this time I kept to myself. I refused to let something like that happen to me again. I would never make that mistake again. I guess the only positive thing about it is that it leaves room for improvement, to make me a better fighter and a stronger person. For now, my plan of action was to resort to my initial strategy, keeping my eyes and ears open for any window of opportunity._

_~*•°•*~_

Following my reunion with Osamu, I continued heading off through the Earth Kingdom. As of now, I didn’t really know where I was going since I didn’t really have many resources on my side. I hadn’t heard anything since the North Pole and my patience was beginning to run dry. I had never really been a patient person and having to wait for the news while associating myself with these peasants was killing me on the inside. I was clearly above them in every aspect, yet here I was, having to appeal to them to make it by.

Things had been better for me recently as the injuries that I sustained from earlier began to heal. It wasn’t that painful to walk anymore so I was able to make more progress on my journey and I’d hardly encountered any trouble which was better for everyone. So far, I’d stuck to my original plan of sticking to the shadows and keeping my eyes and ears out for any information. I’d only really heard about my fabricated story from the North Pole and nothing else from the Fire Nation. You can guess which one I’d rather hear from.

As I continued venturing through the forest in the Earth Kingdom, I found it hard to pace myself when all I just wanted to do was finish this, but there was only so much that my body could do. I still had so much anger built up inside of me as a result of what happened because it was _their_ fault that I was struggling like this. But at the same time, I couldn’t help but blame myself for allowing it to happen. I still had momentary flashbacks to that dark and abominable place that I just tried to brush aside, for the benefit of my own self-preservation. I was just glad that I managed to get out of that place when I did because who knows what would’ve happened to me if I didn’t. I’d probably still be stuck in that Agni forsaken cellar, in even worse shape than before.

I’d found different ways to cope with myself, using my surroundings and even my firebending at times to distract myself from my thoughts. As the saying goes, your own thoughts can be your own worst enemy and I was beginning to realise just how true that really was. I had always been hard on myself, but only to push myself to become a better firebender and it paid off, with me becoming the youngest firebending master in recent years until a certain individual who will not be named took that title from me. I’d pushed myself beyond limits in the past and was rewarded with the progression of my skills and the accolades that came with it. That’s always been how I’ve carried myself. If you work hard, you’ll be rewarded for your efforts and good things will happen for you.

 **And look how that turned out for you,** a voice taunted.

My head shot up and I looked around, wanting to make sure if there was anyone around me. Surprisingly, there was nobody there and it made me wonder if there really was somebody there or if I was beginning to lose my mind.

 **No, you’re not going insane. You’re just in denial** , the same voice argued.

It was then that I realised that the voice was from inside my head and I wondered why it was suddenly appearing now, when I’d never had this sort of confrontation with my own self before.

**I’ve always been there, waiting, watching and existing. I’ve been there through everything. I probably know you better than how you know yourself.**

_Oh yeah, then what do you know about me if you know me so well?_ I argued.

**Well, I know that you read more than you should and that you know more than what most people do. I know that you hate disappointing yourself more than others. I know that you clench your jaw when you get angry, which you do a lot but despite most of your illogical thoughts, you act pretty rationally most of the time. You’re short-tempered, abrasive, calculating, deceitful, malicious and did I mention insensitive?**

_Alright, I’ll admit, you were pretty spot on. But what difference does it make? You’re inside my head so of course you’d know that about me._

**Sure, see it that way. The point is, you’ve been living like a true Fire Nation citizen for far too long now.**

_That’s because I am. Your point is?_

**You know that’s not how you’re supposed to live, don’t deny it. Deep down, you know that’s not really what you want. Remember what Osamu said?**

_Who cares about what that dishonourable deserter has to say? He went against his nation and paid the price. That’s what happens to traitors._

**Oh, I see how it is.**

_What could you possibly see? You’re my conscience, remember?_

**You don’t want to go against the Fire Nation because of the consequences that you’d have to suffer. But if it was any other way, you’d take the option in a heartbeat.**

_Absolutely not. What would I have to gain by betraying the Fire Nation? Nothing, that’s what. If anything, I have everything to lose by betraying my nation. And besides, I have no reason to betray them anyways._

**Really? Despite how Daisuke’s always treated you and the fact that he’s literally hung you out to dry? Deep down you know that he couldn’t care less if anything happened to you. It would just be another loss for you. And what about the fact that some other people outside of your nation have treated you better than your own people? Remember Nukka?**

_So? The Fire Nation has always been harsh, even to it’s own people. If it wasn’t harsh, there’d be criminals running around left, right and centre. Not to mention, if it wasn’t for Daisuke I would be nowhere near the firebender that I am today. That’s a fact._

**Keep telling yourself that. You could do just fine on your own. You could desert the Fire Nation, and nobody would even notice, or care.**

_Daisuke would._

**It’s always back to Daisuke, isn’t it? You know that you’re scared of the man. He’s always the one that’s held you back from doing anything. Remember the Winter Solstice? You would’ve easily gone against Zhao if he hadn’t brought up Daisuke. And it’s because you still remember those marks that he left you, you always will. And he did that with no remorse.**

_It was for the best. I needed to be tough. You know what they say, the nice guys always finish last and in a situation like this, nobody wants to be the loser._

**Please, you’ve met the Avatar numerous times. You know that he wouldn’t hurt a fly if he had the choice. The kids a pacifist. If he won the war, everybody would be better off, including you.**

_I’d be thrown in jail if the Avatar won the war. He wouldn’t just let me lurk around after all the times that I’d tried to kill him._

**It’s not like it was your life’s purpose to hunt the Avatar. Just admit that you’ve been wrong. It’ll get a lot easier once you do.**

_You know what, I’ve had enough of this conversation. It’s over, so shut up._

**I’m your conscience, remember? I live inside your head, you can’t tell me what to do.**

_O-V-E-R._

**Fine, but just remember what those merchants did to you and that they did it because of what your people have done to the world. It was wrong, but it wouldn’t have happened if the Fire Nation weren’t a bunch of evil monsters.**

_Just fucking leave me alone for Agni’s sake!_

My conscience finally seemed to take the hint and shut up, much to my relief which allowed me to focus more on what I was doing, which to be quite honest, I didn’t know what. I didn’t know where I was going or what I was going to do but for now, I was just going to go with the flow, as they say. I tried my best to put all thoughts aside and focus on whatever it was that I was going to do. For my own sanity, I needed to ignore my conscious because I wasn’t doing myself any favours by doing it.

Along the way, I ended up coming across a long stream of water that rapidly swept past. Even though it was only a somewhat small stream, the water crashed against the rocks and in that moment, I’d hate to be those rocks. I looked down the stream and there didn’t seem to be a bridge or anything to cross it nearby. I looked into my bag and saw the rope that I had with me and figured that if I hooked it onto a rock and tied it around my waste then I could safely make my way across the stream without getting smashed against the rocks.

I looked around to see if I could find anything to attach the rope to, but then I heard a scream. I almost missed it, but it was there. Then I heard it again and I looked around to see where it was coming from. The scream seemed to be coming from my left, so I ran down on my left. As I ran further down the stream, I began to make out a figure waving their arms around in the water. I managed to make out the figure of a young girl, who appeared to be clearly struggling to keep herself afloat.

The girl seemed to notice me and waved her arms around frantically. “Please, help me! Please!”

For a moment I simply stood there, frozen, unsure of what to do. Seconds ticked by until I finally acted and whether it or not I did it on my own accord or my own gut feeling, I’m not sure but I’d say it was my gut. I quickly pulled out my grappling hook and looked around for something to snag it onto. My eyes landed on a rock on the other side of the stream that looked perfect and readied my shot.

“Come on, aim. Don’t fail me now,” I muttered.

I threw the rope and luckily, it managed to snag the rock perfectly. Once the hook was secure, I tied the rope securely around my wrist and dove into the water. I used all of my swimming ability to make it to the young girl. At one point, I saw her head sink underneath the water and at that point, I thought that I was too late but despite that, I dove under the water, threw my arms around her and pulled her out of the water.

Once the two of us had risen, the girl just laid almost lifeless in my arms but part of me just knew that she was still alive but if I didn’t get her to shore soon, she might not be. I managed to get us both safely to the other side and gently threw her onto the ground before pulling myself out as well. Everything was just going by so rapidly and everything was blurry but for whatever reason, I knew that I had to save her.

Using everything that I knew, I tried to get the water that she’d swallowed out of her mouth so that she could breath properly again. If only I was a waterbender, then I could use the bending to get the water out of her. As I looked down at the girl below me, I had a feeling that she wasn’t going to wake up and that feeling was quickly replaced with failure.

_Why am I feeling like this? I’ve never felt like this before. I don’t even know this girl for Agni’s sake! So why does this affect me so much?_

As I argued with myself once again, the girl suddenly started to cough, spitting out the water in the process and I couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief. I then went back to helping her in any way that I could, even using my cloak to get her warm again. She stood there shivering in silence for a few moments and I just stood there, watching her. The girl seemed to have good reaction time because it wasn’t long before the shivering stopped, and the colour came across her face. But then she did something that I didn’t see coming.

She hugged me.

The girl, quite literally flung her arms around my waist and buried her face into my stomach. For a brief moment I thought that she was crying as she hung onto my tightly for dear life, almost as if she was afraid to let go of me.

“Um, it’s okay. You’re fine now. You can stop hugging me,” I said awkwardly as I carefully tried to pry her arms off me, to no avail.

“T-than-k y-you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!” She exclaimed between tears.

I shifted nervously, not really used to tears. And hugging. I decided that there was no point in trying to get her off me and just let her cry into me, despite how uncomfortable I felt. Nobody, let alone a child had _ever_ show that much gratification before and it gave me a weird feeling. A feeling that I’d never felt before. I’d been feeling a lot of new things lately, actually. And this was just adding to the list.

“Can you please let go of me? So, I can at least see you,” I added that last part, not wanting to upset her.

Slowly, the girl let go of me and looked up at me with her shiny eyes. I couldn’t quite make out the colour, but I felt like I’d seen it before. She had black, shoulder-length, curly hair that bounced around her shoulders and tanned skin as well. She wore an ensemble of beige and brown rags, along with a pair of red shoes and I could see that she had a red and gold amulet to go with it.

“What’s your name and how old are you?” I asked.

“Xia. I’m ten-years-old,” she replied, holding up both her hands as she did so.

“Well, Xia. First of all, you’re welcome. Secondly, is there anywhere that you should be?” I asked.

Xia looked around for a moment before glancing at me. “I live in a village, but I don’t remember where it is. I was out walking in the forest, looking for fireflies but then I got lost. I found this river, a few meters back. I wasn’t careful, and I fell in. I tried to swim, but the water was to fast. I thought I was going to drown. But you saved me.”

“It’s okay, you’re okay,” I said reassuringly.

“Can you help me get back? I don’t know where to go from here,” Xia said nervously.

For a moment, I almost said no but then one glance at her shiny eyes made me reconsider and a part of me knew that I couldn’t just leave her out here after she’d almost drowned. Besides, my conscience would never let me hear the end of it.

“Alright, I’ll help you,” I said.

Xia looked up at me and gave me a big, bright smile. “Great! When we get there, we can play games!”

I was about to say something, but then Xia grabbed my arm and dragged me through the forest. It was almost as if a sudden burst of energy went through the young girl and she almost had a sense of happiness as she dragged me through the forest, not even caring as I tripped over my own feet. See, this is why I don’t like children.

**.oOo.**

After what felt like hours, when in actuality it was probably less than one, we finally came across an average-sized village underneath the hillside. I could make out numerous buildings and an open-spaced area in the centre. It seemed like a somewhat peaceful place, since there wasn’t that much machinery around which was usually the case in towns that had been apprehended by the Fire Nation, so I assumed that they were still free.

“This is it! That’s my home!” Xia exclaimed as she dragged me – against my will - down the hill.

At one point, I tried leaving her but for a small girl, Xia proved to have quite the grip as I couldn’t pry her hands off me, yet again which was frustrating since I was usually a strong person, yet here I was, being dragged by a _child._ It wasn’t long before we reached the village and I was still be dragged around like a ragdoll as the other villagers gave us strange looks. I don’t blame them, since I would look the same if I was them. I mean, you have an _adult_ being dragged by _child._ Enough said.

“So where exactly do you live?” I asked, eager to get her off me.

“Come, I’ll show you!” Xia exclaimed.

We pushed our way through herds of people until we came across this house that was somewhat isolated from the rest. There were other buildings around it, but it just wasn’t like the others. I could see that there was a small garden outside and a letter box that had ‘Me & Mommy’ written on it. There were multiple decorations around the house that gave me an amiable vibe. There were even a few lanterns hung up on the balcony that had fireflies buzzing inside of them. I assumed that this was Xia’s house, since she told me that she was out looking for fireflies when I found her. At first, I was confused, but now I understood why.

Xia continued to drag me down the pathway and up the small staircase until we were face to face with a wooden door. By then I just really wanted to turn around and leave, since now Xia was at home and there was no harm in leaving her by herself now, but I still couldn’t do it for whatever reason. Xia then slammed the door open and barged into the house, with me dangling behind her.

“Who’s there? Xia, is that you?” I heard someone ask.

A figure then emerged from around the corner and at first, she had a look of dread on her face but when her eyes landed on Xia, it was replaced with a look of relief as she ran towards the girl and scooped her up into her arms, but she didn’t seem to notice me standing behind Xia. The woman had long brunette hair – which was obvious from when she buried her face into Xia’s neck – and from the brief moment that I saw her face, I could see that she had green eyes and pale skin, which confused me since I assumed that she was Xia’s mother, yet Xia had tanned skin while hers was pale.

“Xia, my love, thank goodness you’re safe! I was so worried. I thought that something terrible had happened to you. Don’t you ever scare mommy like that again, okay?” the woman said.

“Okay, momma. I’m sorry I scared you,” Xia apologised.

“It’s okay, sweetheart. I’m just so glad that you’re here, in my arms. But more importantly, why are you wet?” The woman asked.

“Well, I went out to find fireflies but then I got lost. I found this river and tried to cross it, but I fell in and I couldn’t swim,” Xia explained.

Xia’s mother let out tears of relief as she gave her daughter another hug. “I told you never to go near that river. It’s dangerous. Especially since you can barely swim. But wait, if you couldn’t swim, how are you here?”

Xia pulled away from her mother before pointing at me and smiling brightly. “Because she saved me!”

Xia’s mother looked at me for the first time and the moment she saw me, she yanked Xia back and wrapped her arms around her protectively.

“Who are you?” She asked hesitantly.

Xia managed to break free from her mother’s grasp and looked up at me once again. “Yeah, what is your name? I never asked.”

I thought for a moment, trying to come up with a suitable name since I couldn’t use my own name – which would give away my identity by doing so – but then I thought of the perfect name.

“My name is Meg, it’s short for Megumi,” I finally answered.

“And you came here all the way with Xia?” Her mother asked slowly, it was almost as if she was still trying to make up her mind on whether or not she could trust me and to be honest, I was doing the same too.

“Yes. She said that she was lost and asked me to come with her, so I did,” I replied truthfully.

The woman continued to stare at me for a few more moments until she finally seemed to make up her mind and when she did, she made her way towards me and enveloped me into a hug, which I did not respond to.

“I cannot thank you enough for what you did. If something had happened to my angel… I don’t even want to think of the possibilities,” the woman said.

I managed to pry the woman off from me and tried to give her my most forced smile. “It’s okay. I saw Xia and I just acted. I couldn’t let her drown.”

“Thank you, again. I forgot to mention, my name is Jun and of course, I’m Xia’s mother,” the woman, Jun introduced herself.

“It’s nice to meet you,” I said.

“Well, Meg. Do you have somewhere you need to be?” Jun asked.

“Um, not really. I’m just a traveller,” I replied, not wanting to cause suspicion since she was wary of me in the beginning.

“I’m sure that you could use a break from travelling, then. Why don’t you spend a few nights here?” Jun suggested.

“I couldn’t possibly accept that offer,” I said quickly.

“No, I insist. It’s the least that I could do after you saved my baby’s life. I’ll even give you a few meals. It’s no hassle, I have a spare room back there,” Jun said.

I thought about it for a moment. I’ll admit, a bed did seem rather tempting since I couldn’t remember the last time I slept on a proper bed. It was probably before I left the Fire Nation. And a few meals could do me some good, since I was still weak, and I’d need all the help I could get at this stage. It was a hard offer to refuse.

“Alright,” I said, ultimately accepting the offer.

Jun smiled at me. “Great. Xia, why don’t you take Meg to the spare room? I’ll make us some dinner and come get you when it’s ready.”

“That sounds fine,” I said.

“Yay! Come, Meg! I’ll show you the room!” Xia said before dragging me, once again.

Xia eventually dragged me to a short corridor that consisted of five doors, three on the left and two on the right. It didn’t seem like a busy corridor, apart from a few paintings and flowers that were hung around.

“That’s mommy’s room, that’s my room, that’s the bathroom, that’s the spare room and this is your room,” Xia said, pointing to each of the doors as she explained them.

I opened the door to my room and I wasn’t really taken back by what I saw inside. There was an average-sized bed that seemed comfortable enough, with a chest at the front of it. There was also a desk in the corner near the door, along with a wardrobe near the window.

“Mommy sometimes lets people use this room but it’s free now, so you can use it. Feel free to use anything you want,” Xia said before sitting on the bed, which would be mine for the time being.

“Um, maybe you should go help your mom with dinner and let me set up?” I asked, wanting to _finally_ be alone. Nothing against Xia, it’s just that she’s been latching onto me since I found her and I kind of like having my own space.

Xia pouted before getting off the bed. “I guess you’re right. I’ll get you when dinner is ready!”

Finally, I was left to my own devices. I spent a few minutes setting myself up, not wanting to make too much mess since I didn’t plan on spending too much of my time here. I did however, put my sword and other personal belongings in the chest, wanting to keep them out of sight. As I made myself acquainted on the bed, I could help but feel a sense of relief. After months of tenuous work, I could _finally_ rest and Agni, did I need rest. And a few good meals as well would be nice as well. Maybe staying here won’t be so bad after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that chapter turned out longer than what I originally had. From what I remember, the original chapter wasn’t as long as this, since I didn’t have Abby’s argument with her conscience in there, but Abby was always going to meet Xia in this chapter. It’s funny cause I kept on writing conscious instead of conscience before realising my mistake and changing it. Although I write majority of my work in British English, since that’s the way I learned English, I prefer writing mummy or mum in American English for whatever reason. Just thought that I’d put that out there. Anyways, keep your eyes out for the next chapter coming your way.
> 
> On another note, I hate to sound pushy but if you are reading this story, PLEASE leave a review, since it lets me know what you guys think and if people actually like it so far. Also, favourite’s and follows are appreciated too and if you checked out my other works that would be great. And what did you guys think of the previously bit? Do you think it’s something I should continue doing?
> 
> Now for some translations; Xia is a Chinese name meaning summer/great/grand, Jun is a Korean name meaning genuine/pure, Megumi is a Japanese name meaning blessing/grace.


	25. Keep Your Cards Close

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here comes another one of those chapters that I missed. Still a little salty at myself for doing something as stupid as that since I literally always backed up my stuff. This next chapter takes place directly after the last one.

After Xia had left me alone in the room, I spent some much-needed time relaxing so that I could rejuvenate myself. It was quite relaxing, sitting down on a bed rather than sitting on the hard ground like I’d been doing recently. Back in the Tataki Stronghold, my room consisted of a small bed that was hardly comfortable, but enough for me to sleep on. My room also had a small desk and a cupboard, much like this one so it was really just like being back in my old room, except this room felt more cosy and comfortable, for whatever strange reason.

I spent a few hours in the room, resting and in that short amount of time, I already felt better than what I did when I walked into this house. It’s amazing what a few moments of rest and relaxation can do for your body. It wasn’t long before I heard a knock on the door and Xia came running in, with an excited smile on her face.

“Dinners ready! Time to eat!” Xia exclaimed.

Like all of the other times, Xia simply took me by the arm and dragged me to the kitchen where Jun was waiting for us. There were three lots of plates set up and the food was waiting for us on the table. I could see chicken, rice, dumplings and crab puffs. It didn’t seem too bad to me.

“I hope you don’t mind chicken and rice for starters. We usually have dumplings and the crab puffs for dessert on special occasions and since you’re here tonight, I figured why not,” Jun explained.

“That’s fine with me,” I said as I pulled my seat out and sat down.

Xia was quick to get some pieces of the chicken and the rice, even sneaking away a dumpling as she did so. It might’ve gone unnoticed by Jun, but I saw her do it and I couldn’t help but smirk at her mischievousness. I guess Xia’s not as innocent as she appears to be after all.

“So, Meg if you don’t mind me asking, where are you from?” Jun asked.

I’d already thought about the possible questions that might be asked of me and this certainly was one of the ones that I’d prepared for, so I already had an answer prepared.

“I’m from the town of Tu Zin. We used to be a successful mining town, but it wasn’t long before earthbenders came for the valuable metals in the mines and they soon began to dry up. A few people started to leave once they did and I was one of them,” I answered.

It wasn’t a total lie. The town of Tu Zin was once a thriving town that flourished with commerce and the mines did begin to dry up once the earthbenders showed up and took the metal. As of recently, it’s now a deserted ghost town near the Si Wong Desert. I’d actually read about it once before and it seemed like the perfect cover.

“Tu Zin, I think I’ve heard of that town before. But don’t you have family?” Jun questioned.

“My parents abandoned me when I was young, and I don’t have any siblings. I spent majority of my life in Tu Zin, but I decided to travel until I could find a good place to stay. I think I might go to Ba Sing Se, since it is the safest place from the Fire Nation,” I explained.

That wasn’t a total lie either since my parents did abandon me and I don’t have any siblings. Plus, I figured that I needed to make it seem like I had someplace else to go so that I wouldn’t be expected to stay here for long. Although the city of Ba Sing Se might mean the impenetrable city, that’s certainly not the case since the great General Iroh once lead an infamous six-hundred-day siege and even managed to break through part of the outer war. As far as I’m aware, the wall is still in that condition to this day.

“I’m sorry that you’ve been alone. I can understand to some degree since I was also alone before I had Xia. She’s the best thing to ever happen to me,” Jun said, smiling fondly at her daughter.

“I love you too, mommy,” Xia said between mouthfuls of food.

“But what about her father?” I asked.

I could see a look of sadness wash over Jun’s face once I asked that question and felt somewhat bad about making her feel that way, since it was obviously not something that she liked being reminded of.

“He’s not around,” Jun said sadly.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” I said.

I decided not to press further, since it was clearly a sensitive subject. Even Xia was looking down sadly at her food at the mention of her father.

“So, Jun. How long have you guys lived here?” I asked, trying to change the subject.

“We’ve lived here for two years now. It’s nice, the people aren’t that bad, even if we don’t know most of the people. The Fire Nation doesn’t really bother this town, so that’s a plus,” Jun added that last part quietly, while glancing at Xia.

“What do you do for work then?” I asked.

“Well, I mostly work in the markets trying to sell homemade jewellery. It doesn’t get the best income, but there’s not many places that will take me. I also sometimes rent out the spare room to people who need a place to stay,” Jun replied.

“And what about you, Xia? What do you during your spare time? Do you go to school?” I asked.

Xia shook her head. “Mommy doesn’t have money to send me to school, so she teaches me stuff. I sometimes help mommy make jewellery though. It’s fun.”

“It’s hard, juggling being a mother while trying to get enough food on the plate. We barely manage to get by. But it could be worse, I couldn’t have Xia. Without her, I wouldn’t have anything to fight for,” Jun said.

“That’s a positive way to look at it,” I said before an idea struck me, “Hey, why don’t I take Xia off your hands tomorrow, so you can spend more time at the markets?”

“I think that would be asking too much of you, Meg,” Jun said, shaking her head.

“Nonsense. You’ve given me a roof over my head, the least I can do is help you out,” I said.

“Please mommy? I want to play with Meg,” Xia begged.

Jun sighed, “Alright. You two can spend the day together while I try and get some food on the plate.”

“Yay!” Xia cheered happily.

We went on with the rest of dinner, eating and talking at the same time. I learned more about Xia and Jun, while giving away small information about myself. I always go by the fact that you learn more by listening than talking, and that’s exactly what I was doing. I was keeping my cards close to my chest and not revealing too many of my secrets. Once dinner was over, Xia led me back to the room and I bid her goodnight, ready for a nice sleep to prepare myself for tomorrow. I’m not sure exactly what tomorrow will entail for Xia and me, but as always, I’ll be on my toes and prepared for anything, even if she is only ten-years-old.

~*•°•*~

The night passed over quickly, and it wasn’t long before I fell asleep, only to wake up bright and early the next day. I was used to waking up early, that was a part of being a firebender. While the waterbenders rose with the moon, we rose with the sun. But despite that, I couldn’t help but groan in annoyance as I rolled over. Even though getting up early is a part of my life, it frustrated me to no end because I liked my sleep, contrary to most firebenders. One thing that I did appreciate was how much better I felt after a good night sleep. My body didn’t hurt as much as it did yesterday, and I really did feel well-rested, which I hadn’t felt in a while since I had always been on the go.

I spent some time getting myself ready since there really was no point in trying too go back to sleep now that I was well and truly ready. Once I was ready, I sat myself down on the bed to get some more rest. After a fleeting time passed, I heard some scratching coming from the door. Curiously, I got up and headed towards the door to open it, only to reveal none other than Xia standing there, with a somewhat embarrassed look on her face.

“Well, you’re up early,” I said.

“I know! I’m a morning person! You too!” Xia exclaimed.

“Um, yes I am as well. What are you doing here?” I asked.

“I woke up and I didn’t want to go back to bed so I just got ready and hear I am! Can we go out now?” Xia asked eagerly.

“Would your mother be okay with that?” I asked, not wanting to step on Jun’s toes.

“If we left a note, I don’t think she’d mind. She knows what we’re going to do so let’s do it!” Xia exclaimed.

“Alright, I guess we’ll head off now. Why don’t you go wait in the kitchen and I’ll meet you there?” I suggested.

Xia nodded, and I went back to my stuff to get my sword, to be on the safe side. I then left the room, being sure to close the door behind me as I did so. When I entered the kitchen, Xia was eagerly sitting on the chair, swinging her legs back and forth as she waited for me.

“What’s that?” Xia asked, pointing at my sword.

“It’s a weapon so we can protect ourselves against bad guys,” I answered.

“Can I use it?” she asked excitedly.

“Maybe later. But you said you wanted to go, so let’s go,” I said.

Xia got off from the chair and eagerly ran outside. I was sure to leave a note for Jun, so she wouldn’t worry when she saw that Xia wasn’t there. By the time that I had walked outside of the house, Xia was already ahead of me in the distance, so I did a quick jog to keep up with her.

“So, what do you want to do?” I asked once I caught up with her.

“I wanna take you to my most favourite place!” Xia exclaimed.

“Alright, then,” I said as Xia once again, began dragging me away.

Just like yesterday, Xia dragged me off to wherever it is that we were going to. I had no idea what she could mean by her ‘most favourite place’ in the world since for someone like Xia, that could be anywhere. For all I knew, she could be taking me to some swarm of fireflies since she seemed to have an attraction to those pesky little rodents, which I don’t understand why. It’s almost laughable when I see people using them as their light source, since that’s what they have to use because they unfortunately don’t have the gift of Agni on their side, so they have to use other unreliable methods to gain light. And people wonder why we say fire is the superior element. It’s obvious, fire gives light and is all around, the most powerful element, unlike the others.

It wasn’t long before Xia dragged me to this clearing that was on this cliff above the village. There were a few trees and rocks around, but it was mostly an open-spaced area. It surprised me that this was where Xia had taken me, since there doesn’t really appear to be much here apart from a view of the village.

“Why are we here?” I asked.

“Because, this is my most favourite place in the world,” she replied.

“I figured as much, but why?” I asked for clarification.

“I like it here. I can be by myself and not worry about other people. When we first came here, I’d get really upset and mommy would take me here and sing to me. We’d talk, and I’d feel better,” Xia explained.

“Well, that’s good. Sometimes it’s good to get away and be by yourself,” I said.

“I’ve always been by myself, along with mommy. We don’t really find friends easily, since we’ve moved around a lot. I don’t like it, but we’ve been lucky this time around,” Xia said.

Part of me could understand what she would be feeling, since I’ve spent majority of my life by myself, but it’s never really bothered me, since I don’t really like being around people. But I could also understand why that would be upsetting for Xia, since she is merely a child and it would be difficult for her to understand why people might not want to be around her. I’ve been able to deal with it and use it to my advantage, but Xia doesn’t really come across as the heartless type.

“Can we play a game?” Xia asked excitedly.

“Depends on the game,” I answered.

“It’s whoever can jump the highest. You can do whatever you want to get there,” Xia explained.

“Sounds fun,” I said, trying to hide my lack of enthusiasm.

“I’ll go first!” Xia exclaimed.

I stood back, letting Xia have her fun as she readied herself to jump in the air. I was surprised by the moves she pulled out, since they were almost exactly like the moves you would see from a firebender. To be honest, it just made me wonder more about Xia since she already had said and done things that were raising alarm bells inside my head. It was really making me wonder if I knew what I thought I knew about her and that on it’s own made me wonder why I cared so much since it wouldn’t be long before I left her.

“Your turn!” Xia yelled once she finished her landing.

I sighed and readied myself for my jump. I did a few basic firebending moves – without actually using my bending – and propelled myself into the air. Of course, I added a little flair just to show off, even if it was just to a ten-year-old. I turned around once I heard Xia clapping excitedly.

“That was amazing! It was almost like you were dancing! Can you teach me how to do that?” Xia asked.

“Um, I don’t see why not,” I said, shrugging.

Xia just stood there excitedly as I slowly went through my movements, making sure that she was up to speed with what I was doing. I even showed her a few extra moves, since she seemed eager enough to learn.

“I’m ready to try it now!” Xia exclaimed.

I stood back and let Xia take the stage – or ground in this case. She stood there for a moment before going through her movements, this time at rapid speed. I was amazed by how Xia quickly picked up on the moves, almost as if she knew them already and once she was done, she did her finishing pose.

But that wasn’t the only thing that amazed me.

Because what came out of her fists as she did so was not what I expected. Because what came out of her fists was fire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plot twist? Who didn’t see that coming? At the same time, I was putting in some subtle hints about Xia’s true capabilities in the previous chapter and this one which Abby picked up on, but I’m not sure about you guys. Also, the town of Tu Zin isn’t made up at all since it’s the same town where the Gaang face off against Azula in the Chase. Feel free to leave any comments or predictions on what you guys think is gonna happen in the future. To my eleven favourites and thirteen followers, it wouldn’t hurt to leave a review at the end of each chapter since it only takes like ten seconds and it motivates me to write better.


	26. More Than What Meets the Eye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m really trying my best to get ahead of myself in my writing so that there’s more time to spare. As I write this chapter, the story is currently up to chapter 18 and since I post twice a week, it would be smart to write more when I get the chance, especially since I lost a few of the chapters that I already had written, and this would be one of them.

_But that wasn’t the only thing that amazed me._

_Because what came out of her fists as she did so was not what I expected. Because what came out of her fists was fire._

I stood there in complete and utter amazement after Xia did her move. I could still hardly believe what I had just saw, but at the same time, it all made sense. Why Xia and Jun were practically outcasts. Why Jun was hesitant about mentioning the Fire Nation. And now the colour of Xia’s eyes clicked into place. When I first saw her eyes, I wasn’t too sure what exactly the colour was but now I can see the mix of ember and brown, which wasn’t common at all. As I took in the surprising news, I awaited Xia’s reaction to her own revelation, that I’m sure was by accident.

For a moment, Xia just stood there, almost frozen until the realisation hit her of what she’d just done. Her eye’s widened and she looked down at her hands in horror. I could see the panic wash over her face as she shook in fear.

“I-I’m s-sorry. I d-didn’t mean t-to. It w-was a m-mistake. That w-wasn’t s-supposed to h-happen,” Xia stuttered.

“Well, it did,” I said, still lost for words.

“I’m sorry, I really am. I’m not a firebender. That was just… Magic,” Xia said.

“Really? Because it looks like you are a firebender and that did not look like magic,” I pointed out.

“I’m not and it was,” Xia tried to argue, but there really was new point since the truth was out there and she couldn’t hide anything.

I walked towards Xia and knelt down so that we were faced to face. I the put my hands on her shoulders and looked at her directly in the face. “It’s okay. You don’t have to be upset. There’s nothing to be upset for. I’m not gonna hate you or judge you.”

“Why? Everyone else always does,” Xia muttered.

“Because in a way, I’m just like you. Do you want to know a secret?” I asked.

“Okay,” Xia said.

“I think it would be better if I showed you this. You might want to take a few steps back while you’re at it,” I instructed.

Xia nodded slowly and took a few steps back. I took a deep breath and readied myself before going through my movements. I basically pulled out the same tricks that I did before, except this time I let myself firebend. I even added an extra turn just for the sake of it. Once I finished my little performance, I glanced at Xia who was looking at me with a gaping mouth, shocked look on her face that soon turned into a look of excitement.

“You can firebend too?” she asked excitedly.

I nodded. “Yep. See why I wouldn’t judge you now?”

“Yes! That was amazing. Can you teach me something?” she asked.

I shrugged. “I don’t see why not.”

After that, I showed Xia some of the basic moves that I first learned when I went through my training. Before Daisuke took me, I only knew the basic fire jabs and fire punches, even though I’d discovered my bending when I was only four. From what I remember, my parents wouldn’t let me firebend because they were ashamed of my bending. I guess that’s what happens when you have two non-benders for parents. In my personal opinion, non-benders are nothing but a waste of space who give nothing to the world, since they have nothing to offer. From what I’ve seen, the only successful people in the world are benders and there’s a reason for that. Without bending, where else are you supposed to go in life? My parents just couldn’t handle having a bender for a daughter, so they cast me aside and Daisuke took me in. Whatever, it’s their loss anyways since I’m now one of the most successful benders in the world and I never would’ve achieved what I have with them and without Daisuke, so it was only for the better.

Xia seemed to quickly pick up on the moves and I was impressed by how she was able to excel with her apparent lack of training. She completed the basic moves that I gave her in no time, so I showed her more of the moves that I knew – on her request of course since I was still keeping my cards close to myself and I didn’t want to reveal too much of what I knew. Once I felt like I’d showed her enough, the two of us sat on a rock that overlooked the village. Xia appeared to be a lot more at ease with herself after the morning that we spent together.

“Thank you for showing me the moves. I really enjoyed it. I didn’t really know any moves before today,” Xia said.

“You’re welcome but why didn’t you know anything?” I asked.

“Mommy can’t bend so she can’t teach me anything. I don’t know anyone else that can teach me. Most people usually treat me differently when they find out. Mommy doesn’t want me using my bending, because then people are mean to me. That’s why mommy and I travel a lot,” Xia explained.

I nodded, understanding where Xia and her mother would be coming from. Throughout my time in the Earth Kingdom, I have received scornful looks from their citizens just because I’m Fire Nation and when you add being a firebender on top of that, they despise you so with that added to the equation, I’ve also received some hateful words but then again, I’ve shared some ridicule as well. With Xia being as young as she is, she shouldn’t have to go through that. Besides, she’s just as much Earth Kingdom as the rest of them and she shouldn’t be treated differently because she’s mixed blood. But there was also another budding question in my mind.

“Since your mom’s not a bender then, does that mean you get your bending from your dad?” I asked.

Xia nodded sadly. “Mommy says that she knew my daddy when she younger but then he had to go away, and she never saw him again. I’ve never met him.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I don’t have any parents,” I said in an attempt to make her feel better for whatever reason.

“Don’t you feel lonely?” Xia asked.

“Not really. I don’t really think about it. Instead, I put more focus onto my firebending. That’s why my bending is as good as it is. I take out all of my emotions on my bending. That’s what firebenders do, we use our emotions to drive it,” I answered.

“What about your mommy and daddy? Doesn’t your bending come from them?” Xia asked.

“I’m not sure where my bending comes from to be honest. I was abandoned at birth,” I lied.

It wasn’t a total lie since I was abandoned, just not at birth. I didn’t expect much of a reaction, so I was surprised when Xia reached out her arms and pulled me into a hug. Strangely enough, I felt an unusual growth of heat inside of me, that wasn’t caused by my bending. Eventually, I pulled away as the feeling changed to an uncomfortable one, since I was never really a fan of hugging.

“I’m sorry that you’re alone. I feel alone a lot too. It’s not a good feeling,” Xia said.

“You shouldn’t have to feel alone. You deserve to have friends and be happy,” I said truthfully because in all honesty, Xia did deserve to find a place where she could belong. Nobody deserved to feel like they didn’t belong.

“Thank you for spending time with me and teaching me moves. I enjoyed it,” Xia said.

“Me too,” I said.

In all honesty, I just expected this day to be full of stupid games and constantly being dragged around by a ten-year-old, but I actually enjoyed myself to some degree. I liked teaching Xia firebending. It felt somewhat rewarding watching her succeed in the moves and seeing how she reacted to it. Maybe this was the feeling that most teachers got? I admired Xia for how quickly she was able to pick up on the moves, despite her lack of experience. I myself was also a quick learner, but I’ve had ten years to master my bending and there’s only so much more I can learn.

For me, the ultimate goal would be to successfully generate lightning. Lightning generation is the ultimate technique of firebending and it requires true mastery to perform it. There were only four lightning generators in existence with them being Fire Lord Ozai, General Iroh, _Azula_ and Daisuke. Despite his years of experience, Daisuke had only learned how to generate lightning around three years ago, when I was thirteen. I’d asked him multiple times to teach me the skill, but he has always said that I wasn’t ready and I’m looking forward to the day I will finally be ready, so I can join that elite group and be on my way to becoming the best firebender in the world. Fire Lord Ozai is well-known as the best firebender in the world and I strive to achieve his level of mastery one day. That was something that had always fuelled my bending, my desire to be the best there was because if I couldn’t be the best, then what is the point of even trying?

“Can we go back to the village now? I want to see mommy,” Xia asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“What? Oh, of course we can. But can I ask you something before we go, Xia?” I asked.

“Sure!” Xia exclaimed.

“Can you promise not to tell _anyone_ else that I’m a firebender? I won’t tell anyone else that you are either. It will be our little secret,” I said.

“Even mommy?” Xia asked.

“Even your mom. Just like you, I can’t have anyone else knowing that I’m a firebender either. It’s something that only you and I can share,” I answered.

“Okay, I promise,” Xia said.

“Pinkie promise?” I asked, holding out my pinkie.

Xia nodded and wrapped her pinkie around mine, solidifying our promise. Can I honestly rely on Xia to keep my secret? I’m honestly not sure but I still had faith in her because with both of us being firebenders, I’m sure that she could understand why I need this to stay between us, even if she is only ten-years-old.

**.oOo.**

The two of us quickly made our way back to the village that was just as busy as it was yesterday when I first arrived. The markets were open and there were people scattered around everywhere. It was pretty crowded, so I made sure to keep an eye on Xia so that I wouldn’t end up lost since I’d never been in this village before. I couldn’t help but notice diverse the village was. There were so many different kinds of people there, ranging from adults to children, soldiers and even _merchants._ They all seemed to be attracted to the different stalls that were around.

“The stalls are really popular on weekends. That’s when mommy gets most of our money,” Xia explained.

I nodded, almost forgetting what day it was before realising that it was Sunday. This village certainly had a lively vibe to it and I couldn’t help but think that it would be the same on any other day, given all the kinds of people that were here. As we made our way through the village, we came across this one stall seemed a little less than desirable in my opinion. It appeared to be some kind of _risqué_ shop that didn’t really seem appropriate for someone like Xia. It was situated somewhat further away from the other stalls and I could see why. Standing outside the shop were a bunch of sleazy men exchanging what appeared to be drugs and alcohol. It certainly set the setting for the place.

“Mommy tells me not to go near that place. Those men scare me,” Xia said.

“I can see why. Let’s just keep walking back to your place,” I suggested.

Despite our best efforts, our presence didn’t go unnoticed by one of the men who sauntered towards us. As he got closer, I could see and smell just how much he _reeked_ of alcohol and drugs. He seemed like nothing but a sleazy scumbag who I wanted to be as further away from as possible. I could see that Xia didn’t like his appearance either, so I instinctively stood in front of her, almost as if I was a shield.

“My, my, my. Look what we have here. Two _pretty_ little girls,” he slurred.

I grimaced at the way he said pretty, having a fair idea of what he might be thinking.

“You, on the other hand don’t look so pretty,” I fought back.

He chuckled. “You a feisty one? Doesn’t worry me, I like em’ feisty.”

“Do you like them when their fist is in your face?” I asked, honestly contemplating on whether or not I should punch him in the face based on pure disgust.

“I like them in my face. Fists, not so much. Today is your _lucky_ day, being in the presence of someone with such status like myself. It might be one of the only times you’re ever _lucky_ enough to experience the joys of life,” he slurred.

I shivered at the word _lucky_ and every other word that came out of his mouth. His words were almost identical to the ones those _merchants_ said to me and the memories from my experience with them came flooding back.

_It’s time for someone to suffer the consequences for the Fire Nation’s shameful war and today is your lucky day._

_I hope you enjoy yourself, since this is the one time you’ll ever be lucky enough to experience the joys of life like that._

My mind was clouded with memories of pain and suffering from those five _long_ days. I didn’t ever want to be reminded of them again, yet here I was. I didn’t like the memories that came with those words. They weren’t pleasant, and they made my blood boil.

I glared at the man in front of us, ready to take him on if I needed to. “The only one who’s going to be _lucky_ is you if we decide to leave you in that same unfortunate state that you so willingly put yourself in.”

The man cackled. “You two? All I see is a week _child_ and a rather enticing, _beautiful_ woman. Do yourself a favour and come join me. She can wait out here. I’ll make sure my friends take good _care_ of her.”

“Well, the fact that _you,_ a grown ‘man’ is getting off at the thought of a child and a teenager is sickening. It makes you the weak one since you can’t get a real woman because everyone out there is more out of your league then you ever would’ve thought. And we can take care of ourselves just fine,” I hissed.

The man snorted. “Your loss.”

I watched him with a disdainful look as he walked back to his friends, but I refused to let him have the last word. “And if you think that even for a _second_ you know exactly what I’m capable of, then you couldn’t be even more mistaken.”

In return, the man gave me a scornful look before walking back inside with his stooges. I glanced back down at Xia, who was still trembling in fear.

“Hey, you okay?” I asked, crouching down to her level.

“Can we leave now?” she asked.

“Of course, we can. Come on, show me the way back to your place and we can help your mom,” I suggested.

Xia nodded, and we began walking away from that shop. As we did so, I couldn’t help but notice a man who was watching us from afar. He for sure didn’t seem as disgusting as those other men and it wasn’t long before he was making his way towards us.

“Xia, is that you? Are you alright?” he asked once he reached us.

Xia nodded and eagerly ran towards him as he scooped her into his arms. “You know you shouldn’t be talking to those guys. They’re bad news.”

“He wouldn’t leave me alone. But it’s okay, Meg protected me!” Xia said.

“Meg? Who’s Meg?” he asked.

“I’m Meg and you are?” I said, staring at him up and down.

“Meg, Jian. Jian, Meg,” Xia introduced us, pointing to each of us respectively.

Jian also looked at me up and down, almost as if he was evaluating me. “I don’t think that I’ve seen you around here before.”

“You would be correct, I’m a traveller. I passed the river a few miles back and Xia was almost drowning. I jumped in and saved her. After that, she took me back here and I spent the night with her and her mother,” I explained.

“Xia, you should’ve known better than to go to that river. You do know that your mother was worried sick when she couldn’t find you?” Jian scolded her.

“I know, and I said sorry to mommy. She was just happy to see me,” Xia said.

“Just like I’m happy to see you now. While we’re together, you want to be my taste tester for me once again? I’ve got some new samples that are just dying to be tasted,” Jian said.

Xia smiled brightly. “Okay! Come on, Meg!”

Before I even had time to protest or react, I was being dragged towards the shop where Jian was previously standing at. Once we walked inside, I saw that it was just another food shop that had a wide range of options. It almost seemed like some type of restaurant. There wasn’t anybody inside, so Xia and I followed Jian to the back of the store. I was still a little bit apprehensive, since I only just met Jian and for all I knew, this could be some kind of trap. In my experience, it was always better to stay on your toes and be prepared for anything, even if Jian didn’t seem like that much of a threat.

“Alright, I was thinking about adding these two meals to our menu and I wanted to get the Xia stamp of approval before I did so. Here you go,” Jian said, handing Xia a plate of food.

Xia eagerly started eating as Jian and I stood there and watched her, waiting for her thoughts on the meal. It wasn’t long before majority of the food was gone, and Xia sat there with a smile on her face.

“It tastes like lobster, but it looks like crab. What’s this stuff on the side, cabbage?” Xia examined, pushing the leftover food around.

“That is lobster disguised as crab and the stuff on the side is lettuce, not cabbage. Does it get the Xia stamp of approval?” Jian questioned.

“It’s good, I like it. Meg, you should try it,” Xia said, passing me the plate of food.

“That’s alright, I’m good,” I said, putting the plate of food aside.

“Why so cautious? It won’t poison you,” Jian joked, causing Xia to laugh.

I sighed, picking up the fork and taking a bite of the food. I let myself swallow it, actually liking the taste of it before I gave Jian my nod of approval.

“See, that wasn’t so bad. Here’s my next one. I added a little flare in this one for the heck of it,” Jian said, handing Xia another plate of food.

Like the first time, Xia quickly finished majority of the food before giving Jian another smile. “What is this stuff on the side? I feel like I’ve tasted it before but it’s strangely different. I like the paun buns and the tart, but I don’t know what’s inside of it. It’s good, though.”

“Meg, why don’t you have a taste and see if you can figure out what it is,” Jian suggested, taking the plate from Xia and handing it to me.

I shrugged, taking a few bites of the food. I’d like to think that my taste buds are pretty in tune and sure enough, I immediately recognised the food that was in that meal.

“Well, this stuff on the side is jook. Those are definitely paun buns and that is an egg custard tart,” I examined.

Jian nodded. “You would be correct. Your tastebuds are certainly in tune with your mouth.”

“They always have been. I could spot any kind of food that you’d give me,” I said.

“Excellent. Thanks for being my taste tester. Well, I better open the shop back up and send you back to your mom, Xia. It was good to see you and Meg, it was nice to meet you,” Jian said as he lead us to the front of the shop.

“Thanks for giving me food, Jian. I’ll stop by again soon,” Xia said hopefully.

“It’s always a pleasure, Xia. Tell your mom I said hi,” Jian said.

“I will!” Xia called back as we left the shop.

“He seemed… nice,” I said once we were away from the shop.

“Jian’s a good friend. He’s the only friend that mommy and I have here. He’s always given me food and asked for my thoughts, so I give them to him. Sometimes he even gives me and mommy free food when we can’t afford it,” Xia explained.

“Well that’s awfully generous of him,” I said.

After our visit to Jian’s shop, Xia and I headed back to her house. The rest of our trip was uneventful as we didn’t come across anybody like those _men_ who we met before. When we walked inside, we came across Jun in the kitchen and it looked like she was getting ready to leave and she smiled once she saw us.

“Xia, Meg. I’m glad you two are here. Xia, sweetheart, would you mind getting some of the materials from those boxes in my room?” Jun asked.

“Okay, mommy,” Xia said before walking off.

With just me and Jun in the room, I felt a somewhat uncomfortable silence overcome us until Jun eventually broke it. “Thank you for taking Xia out. Lately she’s been asking me to go with her a lot, but I haven’t had the time to do so.”

I shrugged. “It was nothing. She just took me to that cliff overlooking the village. She said that you two would go there a lot. After that, we spent some time walking through that village and Xia introduced me to her friend, Jian I think his name was. We spent some time in his shop and came back here.”

“Jian’s a good kid. At only 22-years-old, he’s got a lot of spirit and a lot of heart. I appreciate him for what he’s done in befriending Xia and I. He’s certainly helped make our lives easier,” Jun said.

“Are you going out to the markets today?” I asked, remembering that they were open.

“Yes, actually. I’m going to sell more of my jewellery, so we can get more money, since our supplies are running down,” Jun explained.

I looked around the house, noticing that there were some other items that appeared to be of limited value and I was sure that they could deal without. Numbers started rolling in my head and I formed an idea that would be for the benefit of Jun and Xia.

“Have you ever considered selling some of this stuff?” I asked.

“No, why?” Jun replied.

“Well, you could deal without some of it. I mean, you can hang paintings without frames and there are only two of you living here so you don’t really need five chairs. I’m sure that you’d get more money if you threw in a couple of this stuff that you don’t need,” I explained.

Jun seemed to seriously consider it for a moment before she gave me her answer. “Alright, I’ll do it. But would you mind helping me with some of the stuff?”

“I don’t see why not. Just tell me what you want to get rid of and I’ll move it,” I answered.

Once I said that, I helped Jun get together some of the items that she felt like weren’t necessary to keep. We were soon joined by Xia who also helped us in moving majority of the items to the markets. Jun decided on getting rid of majority of the frames she had, along with some of the chairs and old books that were in some of the draws. I’ve had experience with haggling in the past, so I knew how to convince people to make a deal that might not be in their best interest, but would be for the benefit of me.

When we got to the markets, there were still hundreds of people there. I’d never been to a place quite like this before. I lived in Royal Caldera City, which is part of a forum located directly past the harbor and also an industrial district surrounded by numerous establishments and homes. Caldera City is part of the Fire Nation Capital, which serves as the home for Fire Nation nobility and elite. It’s basically full of houses and other establishments, but nothing like this. People who lived in Caldera City usually had enough money in the bank, so there wasn’t any need for markets like this. But the Earth Kingdom isn’t as better of as the Fire Nation, so I could understand why they’d need markets like this to get by.

Once our stall was set up, a couple of people walked by, occasionally glancing at us but most of them just walked by. The minutes soon ticked by and in the span of half an hour, Jun had only sold one necklace for four silver pieces which certainly wasn’t the success that she had in mind and for me personally, it was almost painful to watch in a way. At one point, I saw a man walk by who didn’t appear to have much with him, so I decided to have a go at bargaining with him.

“Hey, you, yeah, the guy in the overalls. You got a wife?” I asked, pointing at him.

He chuckled. “No, but I do have a fiancé. Besides, you look a little bit too young for me.”

“You got any money on you?” I asked.

“I have a few extra coins. Why?” he asked, raising his eyebrows.

“Does your fiancé like jewellery? Cause we’ve got a whole range of necklaces, rings and bracelets that I’m sure she would love. We also have some frames that would come in handy from when you guys decide to paint a portrait or whatever. You can even buy a two for one deal in the jewellery,” I bargained.

He actually seemed to consider the offer for a moment. “You do drive a good bargain. What would you be willing to sell for the ring and that bracelet? Along with that frame.”

“Fifteen silver pieces and three copper pieces,” I suggested.

“I’m not sure about that. I don’t carry around copper pieces,” he said.

“How about twenty silver pieces for it all together?” I asked.

“You know what, I’ll take it,” he finally said.

I smirked to myself, satisfied with the outcome. The key to getting a better deal for yourself over the person is to firstly offer more coins and if they reject that, take away one of the options to make it seem more appetising and that’s exactly what just happened. I took away the copper pieces and the man immediately took up the offer, not realising that he was actually paying more than he would’ve if he’d stuck with the original offer. I gave him the fakest smile that I’d ever given as Jun and I handed him the jewellery and the picture frame before sending him off.

Jun turned to face me with a look of surprise on her face. “That was impressive.”

I shrugged. “The trick to bargaining is to make them think that they’re paying less than what they actually are. It worked perfectly with that guy. And you can’t just let people walk buy. You’ve got to approach them yourself because most of the time, they won’t approach you.”

“You certainly have a way with words, Meg,” Jun said.

“I can be very persuasive,” I said.

It’s true, throughout my sixteen years, I’ve always had a cunning streak. I just wouldn’t be me without my manipulative ways. I’ve even managed to use my way with words on Daisuke on more than one occasion. It’s always good to be able to convince people to do things you want since it can be a very useful skill to have.

The next person who came to our stall was a woman who looked around the same age as Jun and she also had a daughter who looked like the same age as Xia. I immediately started thinking of scenarios to get a good deal out of them, but they seemed to have other things in mind.

“Well, Jun you seem to have quite the set-up here. I see that you’ve found yourself another leach,” the woman hissed.

In that moment, I already dissed that this woman was a complete and utter bitch. I should’ve seen it the moment I looked at her because she just has that look on her face. For a moment I even felt sorry for her kid, but she also had a similar look on her face so that immediately set me off. Mother like daughter, I guess.

“She’s not a leach, unlike you, Kaede,” Jun hissed in response.

The woman, Kaede, rolled her eyes. “Oh, Jun, it’s a wonder how you manage to make it by when you can barely sell anything. It’s rather sad that you have to rely on someone else to make it by.”

“I can do just fine by myself, Kaede. At least I don’t have to sell myself to make a living,” Jun fought back.

Kaede snorted. “At least I have a body for that. I see that you have the same old stuff up for grabs. Would you be interested in giving me anything?”

“We’ve been down this road before, Kaede and I know where your intentions lie so my answer is and will always be a no,” Jun said.

“Not even for ten gold pieces?” Kaede asked, flaunting the money in her hands.

“I don’t want your money, Kaede. Who knows where it’s been,” Jun hissed.

Kaede shrugged. “Your loss. It’s not like anything here is worth buying anyways.”

“Yeah, we don’t want it. It’s ugly,” the girl said, confirming my suspicions.

“You’re ugly,” Xia fought back, and I couldn’t help but smirk at her, even if it was a somewhat weak comeback.

“You two wouldn’t know beauty if it hit you in the face,” Kaede said before turning to face me. “Hun, if you were smart you’d ditch those two wannabes and find someplace else to stay. They’ve got nothing to offer.”

“I think I’ll stay here,” I said.

Kaede shrugged. “Not my problem. Come on, Chou. Let’s go find someplace else with more desirable goods.”

“That sounds fun, mommy. More fun than this,” the girl, Chou said as she followed her mother away.

I watched as Chou made a face at Xia as they left but Xia wasn’t one to let Chou have the last move as she stuck her tongue out at the other girl, causing me to snicker. I flashed a look to Jun who had a look of disgust on her face.

“Who was that?” I asked.

“That was Kaede and her daughter, Chou. She’s thirty-three so she’s only one year older than me and she’s also a single mother. But you’d think that with us both being single mothers that she’d have more compassion towards me but nope. She’s the most vile woman that I’ve ever had the displeasure of meeting. She does nothing but flaunt herself while spreading off rumours about other people. That’s why Xia and I are considered outcasts,” Jun explained.

“I can see why. She’s probably just jealous of you,” I said.

“Why would she be jealous of me?” Jun asked.

“Because you’re younger, a better person and you have a better daughter. Jealousy makes people do crazy things,” I answered.

“I guess so, but it’s still stupid. We better get back to selling before the sun goes down. That’s when people start to leave,” Jun said.

“Alright. Just remember what I said, try and approach people and make them think that they’re buying it for less than what they actually are,” I reminded her.

For the rest of the day, I stood there and helped Jun sell her items, earning even more success than I thought she would. We actually managed to sell almost all of the stuff that Jun had put up for sale, thanks to my efforts of course but even Jun pitched in and managed to make a few deals which impressed me, and I don’t get easily impressed. Once the sun started to set, Jun and I started packing up the stall, ready to head back to her house. Originally, I hadn’t planned on staying here for too long because I knew that I still needed to rest before I pressed on more.

As we packed up the stall, I heard footsteps coming from behind us and when I turned around to see who it was, it took almost everything in me not to lose my shit because it was the _same_ guy from before who scared Xia and wanted more from me than what I’d ever give him. He had that same twisted look on his face when I first saw him except this time, the look wasn’t directed at me, it was directed at Jun.

“Hey, pumpkin. There still something left for me to get?” he asked.

I could see Jun tense from beside me. “No, we’re leaving now. Thanks for stopping by.”

“That’s too bad. Well, once you’ve got that little one over there out of your hands, why don’t you two come join me?” he suggested.

“I think that I speak for both of us when I say no,” Jun replied, and I nodded my head as well.

“Suit yourselves. I hope to see you pretty little things around more often,” the man said before walking off.

I rolled my eyes in disgust, hardly believing the audacity of that scum. To think that _he_ thinks that he can just come up to us after the way he spoke to Xia and I earlier. I hope that he gets incinerated one day just because of the way he acts.

“That man disgusts me,” I said.

“He’s one of the worst men that I’ve ever had the displeasure of meeting. He’s constantly harassed me since I moved to this town, even worse than Kaede. Anyways, it would be best for us to head off now since this is when the wrong crowds tend to come out,” Jun explained.

I nodded and helped Jun finish packing up her stall. Once we were done, the three of us headed back to Jun and Xia’s place with the money in Jun’s hands. We’d actually manage to do a good job for the most part, earning 111 silver pieces, 23 bronze pieces and even 13 gold pieces, which surprised me. It wasn’t long before we arrived back at the house and I let Jun put the money in her own secret compartment. I didn’t blame her for being wary of me, since she did only just meet me over a day ago and it’s smart of her not to trust me. Heck, I wouldn’t trust me either, but she doesn’t need to know that.

After Xia went to bed, it was just me and Jun that were left awake in the small house. I spent some time helping Jun rearrange her stuff, since her house was left cluttered after we removed some of the items. At one point, I lost sight of Jun and I decided that it would be time for me to go to bed and I headed down the corridor that I remember from what Xia showed me yesterday.

As I walked down the corridor, I caught the sight of a painting that was left hanging on the wall. The frame was gone, since it was one of the ones we sold today. I also caught the sight of a bracelet that was left on the table below the picture. I couldn’t help but examine the craftsmanship of the bracelet. Even though it was made from basic materials, it was one of the finest pieces of jewellery that I’d ever seen. On the bottom of the materials, I caught the sight of something engraved on the bottom and my curiosity got the better of me, so I picked it up and read the writing.

_To my love, may we see each other again._

I felt something inside of me overcome with a rather strong emotion, that I hadn’t quite felt before up until now. I figured that it must have been from Xia’s father and along with that emotion, I felt a pang of pity for her. I suddenly heard footsteps from behind me and I turned around to see Jun standing there with a pained expression on her face. Carefully, I put the bracelet back down, not wanting to upset Jun since she was the person who was letting me stay in her house.

“I just saw it there. I didn’t think it would be something,” I said.

Jun sighed before walking over to me and picking up the bracelet and looking down at it sadly. The next few words that came out of her mouth was just another addition to the surprising things that had happened recently.

“It’s my greatest treasure. It was given to me by the love of my life. From Osamu.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the plot twists just keep on coming. I think that you guys should be able to connect the dots and figure out what that means but I just wanna know, who really is surprised to find that out? In the next chapter you’re gonna learn more about ‘Jun’ and her past. You’ll also see the return of a familiar face and things are really gonna start heating up. I gotta say, I really spoiled you guys with this one with 6500+ words and 12 pages in my word document which is the most that I’ve ever written for a single chapter. It certainly turned out different than the original chapter that I had written but I think it was for the best.
> 
> Now for some translations. Kaede is a Japanese name meaning maple. Chou is a Japanese name meaning butterfly. Jian is a Chinese name meaning build/establish.


	27. We All Have Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I’d like to say sorry for being annoying in my authors note. It just becomes really frustrating when people aren’t reviewing, even though you know people are reading your work. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and if you do, please leave a review since I do give shout outs at the end of each chapter. 
> 
> Expect a lot of information and changes to come your way this chapter as it delves into something more. This was the last of the chapters that I lost so even I’m somewhat out of the loop on what’s gonna happen cause I’m just writing it as I go, and my ideas have changed since I last wrote this chapter. Based on the cliff-hanger at the end of the last chapter, it takes place immediately after the last chapter but by the end of the chapter, it will have passed Return to Omashu.

**First of all, I’d like to say sorry for being annoying in my authors note. It just becomes really frustrating when people aren’t reviewing, even though you know people are reading your work. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and if you do, please leave a review since I do give shout outs at the end of each chapter.**

**Expect a lot of information and changes to come your way this chapter as it delves into something more. This was the last of the chapters that I lost so even I’m somewhat out of the loop on what’s gonna happen cause I’m just writing it as I go, and my ideas have changed since I last wrote this chapter. Based on the cliff-hanger at the end of the last chapter, it takes place immediately after the last chapter but by the end of the chapter, it will have passed Return to Omashu.**

**You know the drill, Bryke owns the show, I own the story.**

_Previously, on Blinding Horizon_

_“What was her name?” I asked._

_“Dhatri. She was beautiful, one of the most enchanting women that I’d ever met. Before I met her, I never really knew what it felt like to be in love. And I knew that I’d probably never feel it again after her, and I was right. Nothing could ever replace the way I felt for Dhatri. Now everything that I do and everything that I fight for, is for her,” Osamu explained._

*:･✧*:･ﾟ✧

_“Since your mom’s not a bender then, does that mean you get your bending from your dad?” I asked._

_Xia nodded sadly. “Mommy says that she knew my daddy when she younger but then he had to go away, and she never saw him again. I’ve never met him.”_

_“If it makes you feel any better, I don’t have any parents,” I said in an attempt to make her feel better for whatever reason._

_“Don’t you feel lonely?” Xia asked._

_“Not really. I don’t really think about it. Instead, I put more focus onto my firebending. That’s why my bending is as good as it is. I take out all of my emotions on my bending. That’s what firebenders do, we use our emotions to drive it,” I answered._

*:･✧*:･ﾟ✧

_“Your skill did always impress me. The only time I ever saw that drive and determination in someone was in my niece,” Iroh noted._

_I internally growled at the comparison between me and Azula. The two of us have met on more than one occasion and like Zhao, she was also on the long list of people that I hate with every fibre in my body. I hated her, and she hated me. It was a mutual relationship. Though, I hadn’t seen her since Zuko was banished and I wasn’t complaining._

*:･✧*:･ﾟ✧

_“I just saw it there. I didn’t think it would be something,” I said._

_Jun sighed before walking over to me and picking up the bracelet and looking down at it sadly. The next few words that came out of her mouth was just another addition to the surprising things that had happened recently._

_“It’s my greatest treasure. It was given to me by the love of my life. From Osamu.”_

*:･✧*:･ﾟ✧

 

I stood there, absolutely flabbergasted as I let Jun’s words sink in. I just couldn’t believe what she had just said. Osamu? As in Osamu from the Fire Nation? The Osamu that I knew? I was trying my best not to act surprised but in my head bombs were dropping everywhere. First, Xia turns out to be a firebender and now Jun turns out to have some relation with Osamu? What am I gonna find out next? That Jun has some relation to the royal family? Quite frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were any more revelations like that given what I’ve found out so far.

“Osamu?” I asked, still hardly believing it.

Jun nodded. “I’d never met a man like him before and that still stands. When I lost him, I lost a piece of my heart as well.”

The more I stood there, the more the pieces started to fit together. If Jun knew the Osamu that I knew, then that could only mean that she was really Dhatri. It all made sense now. Who Xia’s father was, how Xia could firebend and every other question that I could possibly have. I could understand why she would keep something like that to herself. I guess there are just some things that you just don’t want people to know.

“You’re… you’re Dhatri, aren’t you?” I asked.

Jun, or should I say, Dhatri’s eyes widened in surprise. “H-how did you know?”

“I guess you could say that I know Osamu,” I replied.

“How?” Dhatri asked.

“I’ve met him twice during my travels. The first time he didn’t really say much about his own personal life but the second time, he told me that he met a woman named Dhatri who he loved but he had to leave behind,” I explained.

Dhatri had tears in her eyes now. “How is he? Is he alright? I thought he was dead.”

“He’s well and truly alive. The first time I met him, he told me how he worked at the detention camps in the Earth Kingdom so there wasn’t really that much left to fill in. But the next time I saw him, he told me how he met you and that despite his intentions, feelings became involved. Osamu told me that he was transferred because someone apparently found out about your relationship. He told me how poorly the people were treated at those camps and that he decided enough was enough. Osamu travelled back to the Fire Nation where he actually stood up to Fire Lord Azulon on behalf you and all of the other prisoners,” I explained.

“He always did stand up for what he believed in,” Dhatri recalled fondly.

“In the Fire Nation, an act like that is considered one of disrespect and betrayal so as punishment, Osamu was banished from the Fire Nation capital and once he realised that the Fire Nation had nothing to offer him anymore, he left the Fire Nation and returned to your detention camp to rescue you, but he said that you weren’t there, and he was devastated. Because of the controversy surrounding his transfer and your involvement with him, he assumed that you had been killed. He knew that you would’ve wanted him to move on with his life and so that’s what he did. He helped rescue other people from detention camps and he now travels throughout the Earth Kingdom,” I finished.

By the time I was half way finished with my explanation, Dhatri was already in tears. I shifted uncomfortably next to her, since I wasn’t really a fan of tears and she was well and truly crying. I did the best that I could do to comfort her by awkwardly patting her on the back.

“He thought I was dead? I thought he was dead!” she cried.

“But he did tell me that everything he does, he does it for you and that he’d never loved anyone like he’d loved you,” I said.

“And same for me. There hasn’t been a day that’s gone by where I’ve never thought about Osamu. He was the love of my life and he always will be,” Dhatri said.

There was a sombre silence that overcame us as we just stood there, Dhatri occasionally sniffling and me just standing there awkwardly until I eventually broke it. “So, Osamu is Xia’s dad then, isn’t he?”

Dhatri nodded sadly. “I found out that I was pregnant shortly after Osamu left the detention centre. I was so vulnerable and alone, with no one to take care of me. I never told anyone about my pregnancy with the fear of what would happen if I did. I thought that I was doomed to spend the rest of my life in that camp until one night, a group of the prisoners had decided to escape, and I went with them. Now knowing that I was so close to being reunited with Osamu and that we could’ve been a family together, I wished that I’d stayed behind. These past ten years of misery could’ve bene avoided and the three of us could’ve been the perfect family that I always wanted.”

“At least you have Xia,” I said.

Dhatri sighed. “I do but there’s only so much that I can give her. From the moment she could talk and understand the concept of a mom and dad, she asked me where her dad was. I’ve never told her the truth because I know that she wouldn’t be able to understand it and she’s too young to have to deal with all of that. I want nothing more than for Osamu and I to be together again, so we can be the family that we want and deserve. For so long, it was only a dream of mine but now that I know he’s really out there and that he still wants me, even after all these years, it’s given me a new lease of hope that maybe one day, the three of us can be together like we should’ve from the beginning. So, thank you, Meg for giving me hope that I thought I’d lost. It means more than you’ll ever know.”

After that, Dhatri leaned forward with her arms spread out and I knew what was coming my way. Before I could even try to dodge the older woman, she had her arms wrapped around me, pulling me in close. I decided to let her have that moment, knowing how much she needed the support that Xia couldn’t give her. Eventually, I shrugged the woman off me and she gave me a small smile.

“Not a fan of hugging?” she asked.

I chuckled. “Yeah, I’m not really a touchy-feely kind of person.”

“I can understand that but really, thank you for what you’ve said and done. You’ve done more for me than you’ll ever know,” Dhatri said.

“Well, there’s even more hope for you, Dhatri. The last time I saw Osamu was barely a week ago, so he might not be that far from here,” I said.

Dhatri smiled. “You really are the gift that keeps on giving, Meg. But as much as I’ve appreciated your help and even my brief time spent in this village, I can’t stay here anymore. I need a fresh start somewhere. Both Xia and I do.”

“You could go to Ba Sing Se,” I suggested.

“Ba Sing Se?” Dhatri countered.

“It’s the biggest city in the world and not to mention, the safest place from the Fire Nation. Even the renowned Dragon of the West couldn’t break through to the city,” I explained.

“In all honesty, part of me has always wanted to go to Ba Sing Se but I’ve just never been able to afford it,” Dhatri said.

“Well, you have your money from today to help you and you could even sell this house all together. I’m sure that it’s worth a couple hundred gold pieces, even a thousand maybe,” I suggested.

Dhatri nodded. “You’re right, Meg. It’s something seriously worth considering. Maybe even somewhere along the way I can hopefully be reunited with Osamu and the three of us can be together.”

“Yeah, maybe. As the saying goes, you never know what will happen if you just let the opportunity pass you by,” I said.

Dhatri yawned. “Well, it’s getting late and you’ve given me some serious thinking to do, Meg so I should head off to bed. You too and thank you again for what you’ve done.”

I shrugged. “Don’t mention it.”

“Really. I owe you more than an uncomfortable hug. You’ve given me more than you’ll ever know,” Dhatri said before bidding me goodnight.

Deciding to follow in Dhatri’s footsteps, I headed off to my room as well to get some sleep, since after all, that was the main reason why I was still staying here. As I headed off to bed, I couldn’t help but think about everything that had transpired the past few days. I’d learned a great deal about the people around me and it even gave me a newfound respect for them to some degree.

But at the same time, I could see myself getting in some dangerous territory with my newfound feelings for Dhatri and Xia. I was beginning to grow somewhat fond of their little family and me being me, that’s something that I cannot have happening. Attachments are nothing but trouble and cause you to lose sight of the bigger picture. It looked like I had some serious thinking to do as well.

~*•°•*~

Being a firebender, you’re accustomed to rising with the sun, along with setting with it as well. When the sun rises, you’re inclined to rise along with it since it’s just a part of the way we connect with our bending. On the other hand, when the sun sets and darkness falls, that’s when we’re at our weakest because we don’t have direct contact with our main source of power; the sun. Because of that, I’ve always been an ‘early riser’ as they say in comparison to being a ‘night owl.’ As much as I enjoy my sleep and despise getting up early, I can’t help but rise with the sun. Usually, after the sun sets that’s practically it for me and I’m done for the day.

So, when I was struggling to get to sleep that night, I knew that there was more going on.

Despite my best efforts, I could not make myself fall asleep. I spent hours tossing and turning in that bed. I tried counting koala-sheep and doing mini exercises, but nothing was working. I was wide awake as you could possibly be. After trying everything I could think of to make myself fall asleep, I decided to just give up and lie down on the bed. Maybe something will come to me as I stare at the ceiling above me.

For the most part, I thought about the past few months and how drastically things had changed for me. To think, a few months ago I was living in the life of luxury and now I’m having to travel by myself and rely on nobody but me to keep going. This really was the ultimate test of character, to see if I was really who I thought I was. So far, things were lining up. I hadn’t give into temptation, I was still loyal to my nation and I had my skills to go along with it.

On the other side, I thought about the future and what I was going to do once I left this village. I couldn’t stay here forever. Even Dhatri didn’t want to stay here forever. I certainly couldn’t travel with them. I’d have to find another way of travelling and hopefully track down the Avatar, so I can return to the Fire Nation with the honour of the glory. My mind briefly drifted to Osamu and those thoughts included Dhatri and Xia. For their sake, I wanted them to be reunited so that’s one less problem in the world.

That’s when the realisation hit me.

Now I understood why I was struggling to go to sleep. Because despite the fact that I knew what needed to be done and where I needed to go, a part of me was stuck here, whether I liked it or not and that scared the crap out of me. I knew all along the dangers of forming attachments and that they would only cause me to lose sight of the end goal and that’s exactly what was happening. In only two days, I had grown fond of Dhatri and Xia and now that attachment was beginning to cloud my judgement and that was something that couldn’t go on anymore, for their sake as well as mine.

So, in that moment, I knew what I needed to do. I got out of bed, packed up my stuff and left a note for Dhatri and Xia that explained my sudden disappearance without giving away too much. I needed to leave.

I couldn’t stay here any longer, knowing that it would only end up doing me more harm than good so that’s how I came to the decision to leave. For whatever reason, I was finding it hard to just walk away like that without even a proper goodbye, but I knew that if Dhatri and Xia found out who I really was, they’d want me gone just like this. I made sure to be as quite as possible as I made my way down the corridor and to the front of the house to avoid causing any commotion. At one point, I heard a quite scuffle from behind me and I instinctively turned around, ready to defend myself but I relaxed when I saw that it was only Xia standing there.

“Xia? What are you doing up? Shouldn’t you be in bed?” I asked.

“I heard noises and I went to go get you, cause your room was closer than mommy’s but you weren’t there. Then I went out here to find you,” Xia answered.

“Well, you shouldn’t be roaming around at night. You need sleep,” I said.

“But why are you awake?” Xia questioned.

“I couldn’t sleep,” I answered truthfully.

“Oh. I sometimes get that too and it takes ages for me to get to sleep. I don’t like it cause then I have to wake up early and you know why now,” Xia said.

“Well, why don’t you go to bed so that you’re not tired in the morning?” I suggested, wanting to get her away from me so I could leave peacefully.

“But what about you?” Xia asked.

I sighed. “Because I’m older and I have more energy so it’s okay for me to stay awake longer.”

Xia looked down and frowned. “You’re leaving me, aren’t you?”

My eyes widened in surprise, unsure of how she’d be able to figure that out. “How did you figure that out?”

“You have your stuff. People don’t take their stuff with them unless they’re going somewhere,” Xia answered, pointing to my belongings that were tucked under my arm.

“You’re an observant kid, you know that Xia?” I asked.

“I don’t want you to leave, Meg. I had fun with you the past two days. I want to keep on having fun with you,” Xia said.

I sighed. “Xia, listen. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy your company. That’s actually the problem.”

“Why would that be a problem?” Xia asked.

I mentally slapped myself for letting that slip. “Because, I’m not from here. I have places to go and places to be. I can’t stay here longer than necessary. Two days is enough for me. I need to be moving on. You have to understand that. You can still have fun with your mom.”

“I don’t want you to go Meg,” Xia pleaded.

“Well, I have to. I can’t be here anymore. I have to go and I’m leaving now,” I said forcefully.

Xia sighed. “Okay, I’ll let you go. Even if I don’t want you to. But can want to give you something.”

I watched curiously as Xia reached into her pockets and pulled out a necklace that had red and gold jewels around it. I was surprised by the superior craftsmanship and how beautiful it looked.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“It’s a necklace. I made it today while you and mommy were working. I wanted to give it to you later but since you’re leaving, you can take it now,” Xia said, handing me the necklace.

“Wow, Xia. This is really pretty. How did you make it?” I said as I examined the piece of jewellery, which wasn’t that awful considering it was made by a 10-year-old.

Xia shrugged. “I just did what mommy does. I used the red and gold jewels and paint for firebending. Do you like it?”

“I do. It’s very nice. I’ll keep it with me forever,” I promised as I put the necklace around my neck.”

“So, are you going to leave now?” Xia asked sadly.

I nodded. “I have to. But for what it’s worth, I did enjoy spending time with you, Xia and teaching you firebending moves. Just keep your training going and you’ll be at my level one day. I know you can do it.”

“Thank you, Meg,” Xia said before wrapping her arms around me and this time, I didn’t try to resist it. I just let Xia have her moment. “I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too, kid. Maybe we’ll come across each other again someday. But for now, keep your chin up and be there for your mom. She need’s you just as much as you need her,” I said.

Xia nodded. “I will. Goodbye, Meg.”

“Goodbye, Xia,” I said.

And with that, I turned around and left the house, refusing to look back as I did so. Even though I had only been there for two days, it felt longer than that but that was one of the many reasons why I had to go. I needed to remind myself who I was and what I was supposed to do. And that starts now.

~*•°•*~

A week had passed since I’d left Dhatri and Xia’s village. I spent most of my time travelling, trying to find out information about the Avatar. I didn’t really find out much, only that he had made a return visit to Omashu which had been previously been overtaken by the Fire Nation and that he was chased away by some Fire Nation nobles. In relation to the Avatar, I’d also learnt that Zuko and General Iroh were now wanted criminals by the Fire Nation and that there was a warrant for their arrest. I was still yet to hear anything about me from the Fire Nation, but I figured that I would in due time.

I tried my best to push all reminiscent thoughts of Dhatri and Xia since I needed to focus on myself, not on them. But I did still wear the necklace that Xia made me, since for whatever reason I couldn’t bring it in myself to take it off. It did look pretty nice, I’m not going to lie. I eventually came across another Earth Kingdom town, except this one was overtaken by the Fire Nation, so I was using my status as a Fire Nation citizen to my advantage.

While I didn’t necessarily give away my identity, I let it be known that I was one of them and they treated me with the highest respect. Still needing more rest after my previous experiences, I spent some time in an inn without even having to pay for a room because of my status as a Fire Nation citizen. I rather liked it when I could just be myself, without having to worry about protecting who I truly was.

One day, I was lounging in one of the local taverns, just sitting by myself while having some food and plotting my next move. I knew that I couldn’t keep staying here forever and that I’d eventually have to figure out a way to track down the Avatar. I knew that I could do it and get the job done in some time, I just wish that I had more resources to get the job done sooner rather than later. As I sat at the bar while enjoying my komodo chicken, I heard the doors to the tavern slam open. Immediately, the air tensed up and the music stopped playing. Carefully, I turned around to see who it was, and I almost choked on my komodo chicken when I saw who was standing there.

Because standing there was none other than _Azula._

Oh, Azula. _Princess Azula._ Also known as the bane of my existence. They say that hate is a strong word, but I wouldn’t use that to describe how I feel towards her. I _loathed_ her. There was a lot of people in the world that I didn’t like, but Azula was at the top of my list. She and I have _never_ gotten along. From the moment we saw each other there was an immediate feeling of hatred. I guess you could say it was hate at first sight.

Azula was the epitome of everything that I hated. She was an arrogant, loathsome, sadistic, evil little daddy’s girl who’s never had to lift a single finger for anything her entire life. She has people practically cowering at her feet the moment they see her. While I could admire her ways of manipulation, I absolutely loathed everything about her and it was safe to say that the feeling was mutual.

The two of us first met when I was twelve and she was ten when Fire Lord Ozai invited Daisuke to the Royal Palace. Of course, Daisuke had to bring me along, so I could ‘bond’ with the Fire Lord’s children. It’s safe that’s not how it turned out. Long story short, Azula blamed me for something that I didn’t do as a way to get me in trouble, so Fire Lord Ozai decided for us to have our own duel to settle the matter. The fact that I beat her in our first showdown would also probably have something to do with our intense feud but that’s something that I take pride in. The fact that I can say that I’m the only person whose ever had the pleasure of beating the ‘great’ Princess Azula in a firebending duel.

There was a million thoughts going through my head in that moment. Why was she here? What could she possibly want from here? I did have a slight hunch, though. Recently, I’d heard that she was leading the search for her brother and uncles arrest, so she might be here to find information, or she could possibly be here for me. Either way, I quickly finished my food and prepared myself for anything.

“There’s no need to stop whatever it is you were all just doing because of me. I’m only here for one person only,” Azula said before her eyes landed on me, “And I just found her.”

After that, I just knew that she was here for me and for me only. I mentally prepared myself for whatever was about to come my way because you just never know what’s going to happen when Azula’s involved. But one thing I can say is that when Azula magically appears out of nowhere, it’s never _ever_ a good thing. I couldn’t help but notice Mai and Ty Lee walking behind her as she made her way towards me.

 _Of course, they’re with her. That’s because they’re the only friends that she has._ I thought.

“My, my. If it isn’t my old _friend_ the Dragoness. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Azula greeted me.

The last time I saw Azula was at the Agni Kai between Zuko and his father, so over three years ago when she sadistically watched her own brother get burned by her father. It doesn’t look like much has changed since then. In fact, I think things have only changed for the worst.

“Well, three years is a long time,” I noted.

“True, true. Now, tell me. What’s someone of your status doing in a place like this? Surely you didn’t train at the Tataki Stronghold to end up in this dump?” she questioned.

“What does it matter to you, Sunshine?” I asked, using my old nickname for Azula.

Azula chuckled, but I could see her scowling at the nickname. “Oh, Abby. I see that you haven’t changed that much at all. You’re still as on the edge as ever.”

“I see that you still have your two minions following your orders,” I said, gesturing to Mai and Ty Lee respectively. Ty Lee only just gave me a smile while Mai glared at me. Ty Lee was always overly preppy – which annoyed me to no end – and Mai and I never really got along as well. Not as bad as Azula and I did, though.

“Well, what’s the point of having friends when you can’t use them to help you?” Azula asked.

“So, what’s someone of your status doing here? Surely you didn’t go to the Royal Fire Academy for Girls to end up in this unruly part of the world?” I mocked her.

Azula rolled her eyes. “Always using my words in your mouth. You could never think on your own, could you?”

“Can you guess what I’m thinking now?” I challenged, glaring at her.

“I have a few thoughts but they’re not important. But what is important is why I’m here today. You are right in saying that I’d never voluntarily set foot in this wasteland without a real purpose,” Azula said.

“So why are you here?” I questioned.

“As I’m sure you’re aware, my brother and uncle are now traitors to the Fire Nation because of their betrayal at the North Pole. I’ve been tasked with bringing them back and throwing them in prison where they belong. I’ve also come across the Avatar during my travels and from what I’ve heard, that’s the reason why you’re out here to begin with. So, how would you feel about potentially working together to finish them all off? I could use your skills,” Azula explained.

I chuckled. “Let me get this straight, _you_ , the great, invincible, Princess Azula want _my_ help? I thought you could do anything by yourself. Clearly not since you’re having to rely on your minions and you’re asking _me_ for help. You must be desperate.”

Azula scowled. “Don’t make this more difficult than it needs to be. Would you be interested in joining my team or not?”

“What’s in it for me?” I asked. The only reason I would help someone like Azula would be if there was something in return for my efforts. I don’t just do favours for nothing.

“I’ll give you full credit for the work that you do and once we’ve succeeded, I’ll put you on the next boat back to the Fire Nation since I’m sure that you’re sick and tired of this place,” Azula offered, glancing around.

For a moment, I actually did consider Azula’s offer. It was really tempting, since there was nothing more that I wanted then to go back to the Fire Nation. I couldn’t stand being in the Earth Kingdom anymore, along with their people. Except a select few. Although, my head seemed to be leaning in Azula’s direction while my gut was screaming at me to just move on. The thought of going home, back where I belonged was more tempting than anything and I was beginning to agree with my head over my gut. But I wasn’t just going to give in that easily.

“It is rather tempting,” I said.

“Of course, it is. Just say yes and it’s a done deal,” Azula said.

I suddenly thought of a way to make the deal more enticing for me. “You pay both our weight in gold and _then_ you’ve got a deal.”

“Fine,” Azula said through gritted teeth.

She then stretched out her hand and I took it, reluctantly. After that it was official. Azula and I now had a deal. To be completely honest, I was feeling a little bit apprehensive about this whole scenario. I had never trusted Azula and I most likely never will and for a good reason too. She’s just as, if not more conniving and deceitful than I am. All I know is that if Azula fucks me over, she won’t know what hit her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That’s right, after three years Abby and Azula have been reunited and despite past pretences, they seem to be willing to work together. Funny how Abby can go from a somewhat decent person to her same old tricks in the span of one chapter, just like how Zuko could go from a simple family guy to a dictator in the Smoke and Shadow comics. Did you guys catch the title reference to the first chapter? Get ready for an explosive next chapter and when I say explosive, I mean explosive in every way possible.


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thankfully this wasn’t one of the chapters that I’d lost but it was one of the many chapters that I have planned for this story. Prepare yourselves for the most action-packed chapter by far. And when I say that, I mean that everyone’s gonna get a piece of the spot light. Also, there’s gonna be a pretty long authors note at the end. So, for the purpose of this chapter, the Gaang, Iroh and Zuko meet Azula before the Chase takes place and the chapter takes place sometime before Avatar Day.

After I agreed to help Azula in her mission with Mai and Ty Lee to capture the Avatar along with Zuko and General Iroh, the four of us put together a plan of action. Well, Azula and I did most of the planning while Mai and Ty Lee occasionally butted in, only to be ignored. Even though the two of butt heads like no one else, we can still come up with a good plan together and that’s exactly what we did. Azula had decided that she would track down her brother and uncle herself, which I had no problem with, but at the same time, it meant that I would be stuck with Mai and Ty Lee.

The good thing about working with Azula is that she’s able to use her status to get whatever she wants and needs for travelling so the four of us had our own Mongoose lizards to travel with, which meant that for once in the past few months I didn’t have to travel by foot. Of course, Azula would also take notice of my Earth Kingdom clothes, so she surprisingly offered me a complete set of formal armour, that fit my body perfectly and made me far more comfortable than my tattered clothes did, but I still made sure to keep those someplace else for future needs.

Once we’d finalised our plans, the four of us separated and put them into action. We’d been travelling for over three days, while remaining in contact with Azula through messenger hawks. So far, she’d had just as much luck as us; none. We’d searched in every part of the nearby area and we’d come up with nothing. We’d used every piece of leverage we could until we finally found some news on the whereabouts of the Avatar. Word had spread of the Avatar’s location near Chin village, located on the cliffs of the Earth Kingdom’s southwestern coast. From what I’d heard, Chin village was named after the pompous Chin the ‘Great’ who lost his life at the hands of Avatar Kyoshi. Someone who gets their ass handed to them by the Avatar doesn’t really make someone great, in fact, it makes them pretty pathetic.

Using the Mongoose lizards, we headed off towards Chin village, ready to face the Avatar. For the most part, the three of us said nothing throughout the mission. Ty Lee would occasionally make a few comments, to try and put the tension at ease but it was to no avail. I genuinely had nothing in common with Mai and Ty Lee. We were three different people with no common interests, but we did have a common goal. That’s one way to make people who can’t stand each other work together. Look at Azula and I, for example. The two of us can’t stand each other but we’re willing to work together if it benefits the both of us. We’re two self-serving individuals, that’s for sure.

Being stuck with Mai and Ty Lee was just my worst nightmare, to some degree. Ty Lee was way too peppy for my liking. I don’t understand how someone could be so happy and cheerful all of the time. As for Mai, I couldn’t understand how she could just be so unhappy all of the time. Mai shows practically no emotion and if I were here parents, I’d be concerned for her lack of emotion but I’m not her parents, so I couldn’t care less about her. I will say one thing, when I first met Mai I thought that she was some kind of futuristic robot because she was so emotionless. I will fully own up to being a bundle of anger but at least I feel something in comparison to Mai who’s the most apathetic person that I’ve ever met.

“We’re off to Chin village. The village with the people of Chin. We hear it’s a town of Chin. Did you ever think that maybe? Maybe they all have big chins,” Ty Lee sang as we travelled.

“Must you constantly sing that obnoxious song, Pollyanna?” I asked, my irritation reaching its peak while using my own personal nickname for Ty Lee, after a character in Fire Nation literature.

“Would you rather me sing something else? Because I have a bunch of other songs we could sing. One hundred cups of tea on the wall. One hundred cups of tea. Take one down-” Pollyanna Lee started to sing, but I wasn’t about to put up with that atrocious song.

“NO!” I yelled.

“But what else am I supposed to sing?” Pollyanna asked quietly.

I growled. “How about nothing? We have a mission to complete. And do you really think that singing is the best thing to do when we’re trying to stay under the radar? Don’t you think that they’ll spot us a mile away with your unpleasant singing?”

Pollyanna pouted. “I guess so.”

“What’s wrong, Abby? Have a problem with singing?” Mai asked.

“When it’s the most irritating sound in the world, yes I do. I didn’t think that you, of all people Mai would be a fan of singing,” I said.

Mai rolled her eyes. “Of course, I’m not. But do you have to be such a bitch about it? I mean, look at her now.”

I looked over at Pollyanna and rolled my eyes. Of course, she was trying to throw a pity party, but I really shouldn’t be surprised that Mai would stick up with her.

“Well, maybe I wouldn’t be so harsh if her singing wasn’t the most annoying thing in the world. And besides, she should have thicker skin than that. She is friends with Azula, after all,” I pointed out.

“You’re one to talk,” Mai muttered.

“What was that?” I asked.

“It’s just ironic that despite your petty feud with Azula that you would be willing to work with her, even though you know you can’t trust her,” Mai said.

“She does drive a good bargain,” I admitted.

“I just don’t get why Azula would trust you with something like this considering your past experiences with the Avatar,” Mai muttered.

I rolled my eyes. “I don’t get why Azula would put all of her trust in you two since all you can do is throw your little knives and all she can do is cartwheels. And if you have a fucking problem with me, Morticia, why don’t you fucking say it to myself instead of being a bitch about it.”

I couldn’t help but smirk to myself at my nickname for Mai. It really couldn’t have been a better name. The name Morticia comes from an ancient group of firebenders who used the darkest form of firebending known to mankind and Morticia was the leader of the cult. They lead numerous groups for decades but ultimately, their cult fell apart after Morticia’s group mysteriously died. To this day, nobody knows what really happened to them, but I felt like it was the perfect name for Mai and just seeing her reaction was priceless.

“Calm down, you two. This bad energy will only cloud your judgement and can have a serious impact on your aura,” Pollyanna said.

“Aura?” I asked.

“The reflection of your True Nature at any given moment. My aura’s always been pink. Mai would have a grey aura and Azula would have a red aura. Your aura on the other hand is confusing. It would be a mix of black, purple, green, blue, red and orange. That could mean you’re at odds with yourself, but it also makes you a very colourful person,” Pollyanna explained.

“Um, thanks?” I said, confused. “Let’s just focus on our mission at hand and quit bugging each other. Sound like a good plan?”

They nodded in agreement and after that, we just kept on moving forward and didn’t talk to each other unless it was necessary. A few hours had passed, and the sun was beginning to go down and with no sight of the Avatar, my patience was running dry. That was, until I caught the sight of smoke in the distance. It could only be someone having a fire and if the information that we’d gotten was correct, it could only be the Avatar. I looked at Pollyanna and I looked at Morticia, the three of us nodding in agreement on what we were going to do next. Without question, we were going to head towards the smoke and think of a plan of attack, which was exactly what we did.

As we got closer and closer to the smoke, I could feel my nerves beginning to set in. Morticia’s words from earlier echoing in my mind. She was right, every time that I’d faced off against the Avatar, he had managed to elude me. There was our game of cat and mouse in that seedy Earth Kingdom town, the free for all at the Fire Sages Temple, the Mexican standoff on Zhao’s factory and our face off at the North Pole. Four opportunities, and I’d lost all of them. Would history repeat itself or would I finally reign supreme? Either way, somebody was going to get burned today whether it be physically or metaphorically.

Once we’d gotten closer, I decided to separate myself from Morticia and Pollyanna, using my firebending to propel myself from tree to tree to get myself further ahead. When I was close enough, I took a closer look and I couldn’t hide the grin once I caught the sight of a familiar flying bison and three figures in the distance. Of course, I’d be right since I always was right. After that, I went back down to Morticia and Pollyanna and the three of us headed towards the Avatar and his followers. Why they were still with him? I had no idea since it was obvious that he was a wanted kid and why would you want to spend your time being chased around the world with someone you’d barely know?

In a matter of minutes, we were within meters of their campsite. As part of our plan, I let Morticia and Pollyanna go forward since they would cause the initial fight and I would appear to finish them off. Being only meters away, we could easily see what they were doing. The Avatar was tending to his bison while the lemur was resting on its head, the brother was finishing setting up their camp while his sister was watching over the fire. Little did they know that their camp was about to be in chaos. I looked at Morticia and Pollyanna, who in return looked at me and I gave them the signal to move forward.

After finishing tending to his bison, the Avatar went to pick up his staff and at the same time, Morticia threw one of her daggers at him, but it missed and instead found itself lodged on his staff. I could see his eyes widen in shock as his head zipped around to his two followers as the lemur flew over to him.

“Guys, I think something’s wrong,” the Avatar said as he pulled out the dagger from his staff.

“We’re under attack!” the brother immediately shrieked, causing me to chuckle to myself. Moron.

Morticia used their brief shock to our advantage and fired more of her daggers. This time, the waterbender bended an ice shield around herself, which the daggers easily shattered. At the same time, Pollyanna danced from tree to tree before positioning herself in perfect view of the threesome.

“Who’s there?” the Avatar asked.

I rolled my eyes at the Avatars stupidity. Instead of asking questions, anyone else would’ve just gotten straight into battle mode and ready to defend themselves. Or if they were a coward, they would’ve just left on the spot. But I guess that’s what your reaction is when you’re a pacifist. Weaklings. Morticia and Pollyanna then put the first part of our plan into action, making their presence known as they invaded their campsite, ready for attack.

“It’s those girls from Omashu!” the waterbender exclaimed.

“Well they don’t have the crazy blue firebender chick with them, so I think we can take them,” the brother said, pulling out his war club.

So, they really have had the misfortune of meeting Azula. Well, they’re about to have the misfortune of coming across me again as well. As Morticia and Pollyanna kept them busy, I readied myself for my grand entrance. It wasn’t long before Morticia and Pollyanna had them cornered in the centre, along with the bison while the lemur flew around them, and I decided then to make my presence known as well. Thrusting my hands down, I used my firebending to create an enormous dome of fire around them, trapping them in the process.

“Who did that?” the brother asked.

“Me,” I declared, parting through the dome of fire while re-introducing myself. Just seeing the shocked and terrified looks on their faces was satisfaction enough. This was about to be a battle royal and I had myself right in the middle of it. “Hello, Avatar, peasants. Did you miss me?”

The waterbender glared at me. “You! How dare you! After everything, the North Pole and now this?”

I rolled my eyes. “Did you really think that after that that I’d magically turn against the Fire Nation, my people and my supporters to join you three stooges?”

“Well, we were kind of hoping…” the brother trailed off.

“Well, I’m sorry to shatter your hopes. I see that you’ve met my two accomplices, Morticia and Pollyanna,” I said, gesturing to them respectively.

“What kind of names are those?” the Avatar asked, confused.

Pollyanna giggled. “That’s not my name. My names Ty Lee and this is Mai! She just likes to give us funny nicknames.”

“Shut it, Pollyanna. We have a job to do. Now, normally I don’t give options but considering the circumstances, I will. Either you three bow down and surrender or we fight to the bitter end,” I offered.

“There’s no way that we will ever bow down to the likes of you!” the waterbender sneered.

“You’re problem,” I said, shrugging before I pointed to each of them individually as I said, “Now, ini, mini, miny, mo. Who should I kill first, I don’t know? But it doesn’t matter anyways because you’re all going to die in the end!”

With that, I ran forward and leaped over one of their luggage, sending a fire pinwheel towards them with my feet. Unfortunately, the Avatar was able to barely dodge my attack by creating an air forcefield. Using the fire from the dome I created, I moved my hands in a circular motion before sending the fire towards them, which they again barely dodged. Morticia threw her daggers towards them, but the annoying one used his war club to send them hurling back. Pollyanna tried attacking the waterbender with what looked like chi-blocking, which made me make a mental note to be careful of her later on. I kept on sending attack after attack at the Avatar, but he was able to evade me like always, frustrating me to no end. At one point, he created a huge gust of air and sent it towards me, causing me to go hurling into a nearby tree, angering me in the process.

“You guys, get out of here! I’ll hold them off!” the Avatar said.

“We’re not leaving without you, Aang!” the waterbender called.

“If you guys don’t want to leave, I’m all for it!” the brother exclaimed.

An idea suddenly formed in my head and I decided to put my quick thinking to effective use. “Avatar, want to strike a deal?”

“What kind of deal?” he asked warily.

“Me and my partners will leave your pathetic friends alone, under one condition. You agree to come with us, therefore, surrendering. If not, then I will not hesitate to burn them to a crisp, followed by you,” I offered.

“Aang, don’t do it!” the girl exclaimed.

The Avatar sighed. “I never wanted you guys involved with this to begin with so yes, I’ll surrender.”

I smirked. “Wise choice, Avatar. Pollyanna, you know what to do.”

Pollyanna then cartwheeled towards us and used her chi-blocking to subdue the Avatar, making him at our mercy. With the Avatar incapacitated, I pulled out the chains that I’d been hiding behind my back and wrapped the chains around his arms and legs, similar to how you’d tie up a bull-pig.

“Morticia, take him away,” I ordered.

Following my orders, she picked up the Avatar and began to lead him into the forest. The waterbender tried to intervene, but one look in my hard gaze caused her to stop in place. With the Avatar now out of the premises, it left just me, Pollyanna and the peasant siblings. Little did they know what else we had install for them.

“You have him now, so leave us alone,” the brother ordered.

I chuckled sinisterly. “Oh, peasants. If there’s one thing you should know by now it’s that I don’t take orders from the likes of you and I’m not one to keep my word, either.”

Before they could even react, I created a blazing ring of fire with my feet, sending it towards them but the brother managed to save the day by pushing his sister out of the way. Frustrated, I launched a fire bomb towards them and when that didn’t work, I sent a large fire stream towards them, which they also luckily evaded. With my patience growing thin, I created a large wall of fire – which seemed to scare the bison and the lemur, causing them to fly away - while also separating the brother and sister, leaving me to face off with the waterbender and for Morticia to take care of her brother. The waterbender glared at me with a look of anger that I had never seen before. Her looks could even rival Azula and if they could kill, I’d be dead, but so would she.

“You lying, deceptive witch! You promised!” she exclaimed.

I laughed. “I never promised. I offered. Besides, you should know better than to trust someone like me.”

“And you should know better than to double cross someone like me!” she yelled.

“And what are you going to do? Splash me?” I mocked.

“Yes, you’re right,” she said.

Using the water from her pouch, she sent an attack towards of water me, catching me off guard in the process. When I got up from my feet, I could see her running off in the distance, ditching her brother in the process. Kind of treacherous, if you ask me. I wasn’t about to let her escape, so of course, I ran after her, using my firebending to catch up. The waterbender always seemed to be a few steps ahead of me, but I wasn’t about to let her get the upper hand. By narrowing and condensing my flame projection, I was able to create a fire blade and cast it towards a nearby tree, splitting it in half and sending it falling to the ground but the waterbender just barely missed being crushed by it, aggravating me in the process. Why couldn’t I just get rid of her?

Not one to give up, I used my jet propulsion to launch myself into the air and over the tree in pursuit of the waterbender. I could barely make out the blue clothing in the distance, so I figured as long as I could still see her, I was fine. My anger was beginning to take control, which only fuelled my bending even more as I used every firebending trick I could think of to try and slow her down, but to no avail. I was yet to engage in close combat with her, so I had no idea where her waterbending stood but she appeared to be quick on her feet. Which was good for her because if she wasn’t, she would’ve been on the ground, writhing in pain by now.

At one point when I’d lost sight of her, I was beyond frustrated with myself since there was no way I could possibly let someone like her beat me. It wasn’t long before I saw a huge wave of water coming towards me, but I was able to use my firebending to evaporate the water. My firebending might not be as hot as Azula’s blue flames, but the heat of it could still evaporate water. It didn’t take a mechanist to figure out where that water came from. In no time at all, I found my way out of the forest and face to face with the waterbending peasant but surrounding her was a lake of water that she was for sure going to use to her advantage.

“I’ve caught up with you now, peasant! There will be no more eluding me!” I sneered.

“At least now things will be a lot more even,” she said determinedly.

I laughed at her ‘braveness’ before assuming my position, ready to defend myself at any costs and to attack her with every fibre of my being. I was strong, confident and was by far the superior bender. She had nothing on me and there was no way someone like her could beat me.

 **You’re going to lose.** That voice in my head taunted. And just like that, I felt something snap inside of me and my stomach literally dropped. Why now? Why when I’m about to go head to head with that peasant does my mind decide to play tricks on me?

“Now is not the time for this nonsense!” I hissed.

**You can’t say that she’s a weak person. Look at that look in her eyes. She wants you gone and she will stop at nothing to make that happen. You’re going to lose.**

“I will not lose! I always win!” I yelled.

And with that, I leaped forward with a blast of fire that I send towards that peasant. However, she was able to use the nearby water as a shield to protect herself. I sent a few quick jabs of fire towards her, but she countered my attacks with her waterbending. She then bended the water into spears of ice and sent them hurling towards me – with little time to move. Thinking quickly, I used the armour on my arms and legs to protect me from her pathetic attack. Angrily, I flung my arm and leg down to shake off the shards of ice before looking at her straight in the eye.

**How can you top that? You couldn’t even use your bending to protect yourself. You’re the pathetic one, not her.**

“I am not pathetic!” I roared.

The waterbender then summoned a small pillar of ice and using her bending, she sent a series of ice discs towards me but using my flexibility and agility, I was easily able to avoid her attacks, but one of the discs barely missed me, cutting some of the bottom of my hair off in the process. I then sent a blast of fire at her pillar, causing a small explosion and sending her hurling backwards. I smirked to myself, satisfied with my efforts so far. Not one to give up, the peasant stood up and bent the water from the lake, creating a circular ring around us, making it smaller as she did so which brought us closer together.

Frustrated, I sent a blast of fire into the water – ending her attack – before she came running towards me, but I was able to leap into the air, allowing me to miss her attack. Once I landed back on the ground, I used my jets of fire to propel myself across the ground, circling the waterbender while sending multiple attacks at her. I always made sure to keep a close eye on her, so I was prepared for anything but by doing so I failed to keep my attention ahead of me which proved to be a mistake as I missed seeing the wave of water coming hurling towards me, halting my attack and causing me to fall to the ground and roll over in pain.

**What did I say? Pathetic.**

“Shut up!” I shrieked.

Refusing to surrender, I got up and charged towards her, us facing each other once again. I could see her encasing herself with water, so I decided to use her momentary distraction to my advantage, kicking a blast of fire towards her. In return, she sent what looked like a water tentacle towards me which stopped my attack, but it also trapped my right leg in the process. I then sent a blast of fire towards her with my left arm, but that blasted peasant trapped my arm as well. I could see her lifting her arms, lifting me into the air and terrifying me for a brief moment before I swung my left leg over, releasing a blast of fire and freeing me from the tentacles as I did so.

“Nice try!” I yelled

The waterbender sent her water-covered arms at me once again, but I stopped her from doing any damage with my fire whips. The two of us engaged in another close battle, sending our whips towards each other repeatedly until I finally managed to break hers, sending her flying backwards once again. We seemed to be evenly matched, but I was about to put an end to this fight once and for all.

**Think again. Take a look at the sky.**

“What?” I muttered before looking into the sky. My eyes widened as I saw that the moon was beginning to rise and on top of that, it was a _full_ moon, meaning that her bending would be at it’s peak. For a brief moment, I thought maybe I should’ve just let the moon spirit stay dead, because then I wouldn’t be having this problem now. But it didn’t matter, I was going to win this battle. Full moon or not.

Using my brief distraction to her advantage, the waterbender sent another wave of water towards me except this one was much bigger than the last few and I knew that this was the benefits of the full moon coming into play. Refusing to give up, I created a giant whip of fire before augmenting it, sending it towards that bothersome peasant but like always, she was able to avoid my attack by bending the water from the lake and creating a shield for herself. She then sent the water towards me, sending me flying backwards and slamming into a nearby tree. Before I could even react, she sent an even larger wave of water at me, sending me up the tree before freezing it around me, leaving me stuck against the tree.

“Now who’s the superior bender?” she mocked me.

**She’s got you there. Did you really think that you could beat her? Now look at you, stuck to a tree like a fool.**

“I’m no fool. I’m a champion. The Dragoness!” I declared.

With my anger and frustration taking over, I breathed out steam from my nose, causing the ice to melt and me to fall to the ground. When I did, I charged towards her, conjuring a large flame behind me as I did so. The waterbender seemed to take notice of this and uses the water from the lake to create ice to slide on and we both chased after each other using our bending. That seemed to last for what felt like, forever as we circled each other. My muscles were beginning to tire and was getting more and more frustrated with myself, since I couldn’t beat this mere peasant. It looked like we’d be doing this dance forever and if this was what it took to tire her out, then so be it. I’ll chase her all night if that’s what it takes.

**Because you can’t beat her any other way.**

“Stop it! Go annoy someone else!” I shouted.

**I can’t go away. I’m inside your head and in your head only. It’s time for you to face the facts. You’re not as good as you thought you were. You’re pathetic. She’s far more superior than you and she’s proven it.**

“She is not! I’m better! And I will prove it!” I yelled.

“What’s wrong with you? Did you fall a little bit too hard?” the peasant asked. More like taunted.

“Stay out of this, peasant! This is between me and me only!” I yelled.

“You’re crazy!” she called back.

“I am not!” I yelled.

My anger at myself and her had reached its boiling and I halted my fire jets before sending the biggest blast of fire towards her. The waterbender tried to create an ice shield but my fire destroyed it, sending her flying backwards once again. I then charged towards her, with my fire daggers lit and ready to attack. I could see that she knew I was coming towards her, so she came charging towards me as well. When she was only a few meters away from me, I sent my fire daggers towards her, but she dodged my attacks, only running even closer to me. I lunged towards the ground as she sent a water whip after me, so I sent a fire whip after her, causing her to fall over. With her on the ground, I leapt into the air, ready to finish her off on the spot.

But that’s not what happened.

Using the water around us, that Agni forsaken peasant trapped us in the water before freezing it, with my fist only a few mere centimetres away from her face. I was there, frozen with my hair all over the place, my eyes widened in shock as my eyeballs darted from side to side and I could feel the water moving around us as it made it’s way into my open mouth, causing me to freak out although it wasn’t visible on the outside for obvious reasons.

**See? You couldn’t even beat her and now you’re going to drown. Serve’s you right.**

_Shut up! This is all your fault! I’m no loser. I’m a winner!_

With every ounce of my concentration, I used my breathing to heat the ice, causing it to shatter into hundreds of tiny pieces. The impact of the mini-explosion sent both of us flying backwards, but I wasn’t about to let that beat me. Immediately, I got up and went charging towards her, using my fire jets to propel myself towards her.

“Now it’s your time to suffer!” I declared.

I then stopped, sending my firebending towards her as she tried to make a shield, but my firebending proved to be too strong as it once again shattered her pathetic ice, sending her tossing and turning across the ground. Satisfied with what I’d done, I made my way towards that no good, washed up peasant so I could finish the job, even if I did feel like I was about to collapse. With the peasant on the ground, I pulled out the hand cuffs that I had attached to my waist and forcefully cuffed her hands together before slamming her on the ground and using chi-blocking on her for good measure.

“I told you I was the best,” I hissed.

Now that she was incapacitated, I could _finally_ rest. After what was probably hours, our duel was finally over and there was no need to fight anymore. I had succeeded in what I had set out to do, just like I always did.

**Yeah, barely.**

I growled. “Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Why won’t you just leave me alone! I don’t want to listen to you! Leave me alone!”

“You’re out of your mind,” the waterbender said.

“Didn’t I tell you to stay out of this! Go wallow in your own self pity because I’m better than you just like I’m better than everyone else!” I spat.

“Try telling that to yourself, then,” she said.

“Enough! You’re going to regret saying that!” I yelled.

I had had it with that pesky little waterbender and her comments. If she wasn’t going to listen to me, I was going to make her suffer even more. I lifted my hand up and brought it down, unleashing a burning flame on her leg. I relished as she cried out in pain, satisfied with her pain and misery.

“That was your fault. You should know better than to go up against the Fire Nation!” I hissed, grabbing her by her dress and slamming her against the nearest tree. “We are the superior nation, just like we are the superior element. Nobody can stop us! The Fire Nation will win this war and there is _nothing_ that you, your irritating brother or that pathetic excuse of an Avatar can do to stop us! Your road ends here.”  

And with that, I slammed her against the ground, spitting on her in the process. That disgraceful rodent isn’t worthy to be in my presence. She deserves to rot in Vaatu’s lair, along with her nauseating brother and that so-called Avatar. And those children think that they can save the world? I guess it is nice to have dreams, even if they are impossible. Even though my body was aching and all I wanted to do was sleep, I forced myself to pick up the waterbender and drag her to what was, our rendezvous point and hope that then I can heal and rest after our mammoth fight. The first part of our mission had been successful and now, all we had to do was wait and see how the rest of it played out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that was an epic chapter with 9 pages and almost 6000 words. I originally had more planned, but I realised that I had already written a huge chunk and I was too lazy to write more so I decided to save it for the next chapter. I realise that Abby was quite frankly, a bitch in this chapter but she’s a confused bitch and she’s at odds with herself to some degree, since her conscience decided to make a reappearance. 
> 
> A lot of the action from Abby and Katara’s duel mirrors some of the fight scenes from the Crossroads of Destiny and the Last Agni Kai since I mostly use the transcripts for the fighting scenes cause I have no idea how to write my own. As for Mai and Ty Lee’s nicknames, Morticia is from the Adams family and then Pollyanna is from a novel and it’s used to describe a cheery person, which fits Ty Lee’s personality so from now on, Mai and Ty Lee will be referred to with their respective nicknames. I also referred to the chapters where Abby came across the Gaang, in case you missed that. This chapter really was exhausting to write but trust me when I say that it won’t end here because they’ll be more to come in the next chapter as things begin to unravel and if you’re worrying about Katara, she’ll be fine. She’ll just have a pure hatred for Abby, but most people do so that’s nothing new.


	29. Thorn in my Side

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After a mouthful of a chapter, here comes another one with almost as much action as its predecessor. Get ready for a true showdown as everyone comes face to face for the first time in my twisted story and things get a bit more confusing for Abby and you’ll see how that turns out.

Following my heated battle with that no-good peasant, I was left to drag her to my Mongoose lizard, so I could travel to the rendezvous spot that the four of us had agreed on. For the most part, that peasant was just as, if not more exhausted and worn out as I was so it was easy to move her around. It wasn’t long before I found my lizard after passing Team Snowflakes campsite and I could see that Morticia and the brother were long gone now. Once I reached my lizard, I unceremoniously threw the peasant onto the back, causing her to groan in pain.

“W-where are you t-taking me?” she asked.

“Somewhere no-one can rescue you. Your irritating brother and that child you call an Avatar are long gone. Enjoy the ride,” I hissed.

With one snap of my wrist, I yanked the reigns and the Mongoose lizard went off in my intended direction. For most of the travel, the waterbender merely groaned in pain and I would occasionally chi-block her for obvious reasons. I had picked up on chi-blocking when I was thirteen, which was when I first started learning hand-to-hand combat as a part of my training with Daisuke. Chi-blocking is a rare skill that not many people possess, and I am one of the few people that do have this rare ability and it has come in handy on more than one occasion.

In no time at all, the Mongoose lizard arrived at the rendezvous point, which was the Randebu Stronghold, located near the southwestern part of the Earth Kingdom. It’s purpose was to serve as a prison for Earth Kingdom citizens before they were transferred to the Fire Nation, as well as a battle ground which made it the perfect place for our delivery as we would need somewhere to keep those nauseating children. When I arrived at the gate, it opened immediately, and I contently made my way into the stronghold, ready to present my capture. I saw Morticia and Pollyanna standing nearby, and they also seemed to notice me before heading towards me.

“What took you so long?” Morticia asked.

“There were a few… hiccups along the way but nevertheless, I succeeded in what I set out to succeed,” I answered.

“Where is the waterbender, then?” Morticia asked.

“On the saddle. Don’t worry, she’s harmless. I’ve got her tied up good and chi-blocked her before we went through the gates,” I replied.

Morticia nodded and walked towards my Mongoose lizard before yanking the waterbender off from the saddle and handing her to two of the nearby guards before heading off with them to what I assumed was the prison chambers.

“You’re wet,” Pollyanna pointed out.

I rolled my eyes. “That’s what happens when you fight a waterbender.”

“Is she okay?” Pollyanna asked quietly.

I shrugged. “A little bruised, a little burned but that was her fault. You should be worrying more about me then her, anyways.”

“Sorry, how are you?” Pollyanna asked.

I rolled my eyes. “In a better condition than what she is. I might have a few scratches and bruises here and there, but at least I don’t have a nice burn mark on my leg.”

Pollyanna gasped. “Abby! You didn’t.”

“So, what if I did? I had to do what I had to do to protect myself,” I argued.

“Well, at least we succeeded then. It took me some time, but I was eventually able to get the Avatar here. His bending was able to return remarkably faster than what most peoples would after they’ve been chi-blocked. He almost managed to escape, but I got him again. It didn’t help that their flying thing came over us and tried to get the Avatar, but I managed to get away from it. Mai was able to defeat the other Water Tribe sibling. They’re both in separate cells down in the cellar,” Pollyanna explained.

I nodded, satisfied. “Good. And what about Sunshine?”

“I’ve hardly heard anything from Azula, but she sent a messenger hawk a few hours ago saying that she’d found where Iroh and Zuko were hiding,” she replied.

I yawned, feeling extra tired after today’s events. “I don’t know about you, Pollyanna but I’m exhausted. Where are my sleeping chambers?”

“The guards have prepared our rooms but I’m not sure exactly where yours is. I’m sure that if you ask the guards they’ll take you to it,” Pollyanna said.

I nodded and headed towards the nearest guard before demanding that he showed me to my room, which he quickly did as he cowered in fear. Weakling. How could a grown man be scared of a teenage girl? I guess I am not like most teenage girls. As the guard lead me to my chambers, I felt the familiar feeling of uneasiness overcome me once again, but I wasn’t sure what it was for. All I knew was that after today’s events, I needed a nice, long, twenty-four-hour nap.

~*•°•*~

Two days had passed since my arrival at the Randebu Stronghold. I spent most of my time resting, relishing in the fact that I didn’t have to hide who I was and that I could just be myself for the first time in a long time. I hadn’t visited the Avatar and his friends in their cells, since I didn’t think I needed to unless I needed a good taunting session. From what I’d heard, the Avatar and the brother were in a reasonably good condition while the waterbender was far worse off after our battle. Because she was a waterbender, she had to be looked up in a special cell with dry air, so she couldn’t bend. In the past few years, the Fire Nation has taken extra precaution with waterbenders since we are well and truly aware of what they can be truly capable of and the darkness they can possess.

I was currently resting in my chambers when I heard a gentle knock on my door. “Enter!” I called.

The same, weak guard who had showed me to my room walked in with a piece of paper in his hands. “I have a message for you, Dragoness.”

I took the paper from him. “Thank you. You are excused, Lieutenant.”

He bowed as he left, leaving me alone in my room once again. I unrolled the piece of paper and carefully read the message displayed on it.

_Abby,_

_Azula has successfully captured Iroh and Zuko and has since arrived at the Randebu Stronghold. We will be meeting in the courtyard shortly along with the Avatar and his accomplices, who will also be present._

_Xoxo, Ty Lee (or Pollyanna)_

I rolled my eyes as I scrunched up the note and tossed it aside. Sometimes Pollyanna’s antics confused me to no end. She was basically like the Avatar in a girl’s body, since they have the same, naïve outlook on life. What I didn’t understand is why she couldn’t have just come and told me this herself. I never would’ve pegged her as the lazy type. Nevertheless, I walked over to the nearby desk and picked up my shoes, since the shoes I was currently wearing wouldn’t be appropriate for this little gathering. As I pulled the shoes up my feet and began tying the laces that joined them together, I began getting frustrated with myself as I couldn’t tie a simple knot. I must’ve tried over a dozen times before my frustration finally reached its peak.

“Who needs laces, anyways?” I hissed before grabbing a nearby pair of scissors and cutting straight through the laces, watching as they fell to the ground. With them gone, my feet felt much more free and moveable, so I decided that I was better off without them.

 **“You really have a habit of destroying things, don’t you?”** that irritating voice asked. Except this time, there was something different about it, but I just couldn’t put my finger on it.

“You, again. I thought that I told you to leave me alone?” I asked.

 **“I’ve never spoken to you before. Look up, child,”** the voice said.

I rolled my eyes and did as such and my eyes widened in shock as I did so. Because staring back at me in the mirror was not just my reflection. There was a woman, clad in a long, blue dress with a blue and white fur parka on top of it. There was something eerily familiar about her, but I just couldn’t put my finger on it. I did know for a fact that I had never seen anyone like that woman before in my life and that I was the only one in my room.

“Who are you? W-what are you?” I asked hesitantly.

 **“There’s no need to be scared, young one. I am merely a fragment of your imagination, so I cannot harm you,”** she said reassuringly.

“So, I’m hallucinating now? Great, just great,” I muttered.

 **“I can see so much pain inside of you, but you refuse to show it and instead, keep it to yourself but that has not done you any favours. Instead, it has left you troubled and feared,”** she said.

“You’re just like my conscience,” I hissed.

 **“I very well may be just that, just in a physical form. You should embrace your fears and your failures, instead of taking out your frustration and anger on innocent people,”** she said.

“Shut up! You’re no councillor. You’re just… nothing! Because you don’t exist!” I yelled.

 **“But I did once. Just like many other people, who have fallen prey to this endless and pointless war,”** she said.

“What? Are you like a ghost, or something?” I asked.

 **“That’s up to you to decide,”** she replied.

As I stared at the woman in the mirror, the more the puzzle pieces began starting to come together. My head might not be completely straight now, but I was still smart enough to figure out the obvious.

“You’re one of those Water Tribe _savages_ , aren’t you?” I asked.

The woman nodded. **“Yes, but we don’t see ourselves as savages. That is only the way that your nation sees us, but we’re not. It’s just propaganda that has spread way too far.”**

“You kill animals for food, rely on weapons for fun and games and your civilisation is about as low as they come so yes, you are savages,” I argued.

 **“There are benders in our tribe too, young one and you know that. And our weapons are used by our warriors. Much like my son and daughter, who you’ve met,”** she said.

My eyes widened as the realisation hit me. “You’re _their_ mother? I thought your looks were familiar. Too bad your little pride and joy are too inadequate to ever pass as fighters and hold their own against me.”

 **“Didn’t my son best you with his boomerang? And didn’t my daughter have you so terrified that you began arguing with yourself?”** she asked.

I growled. “Just shut up and leave me alone. I have more important matters to attend to. Like rubbing my victory in your pathetic children’s faces.”

 **“They are not pathetic, just like you aren’t. You are one and the same. The only difference is your bending. But the Fire Nation’s pointless war has only altered those views and you know it. You know that your nation isn’t nearly as worthy of that pedestal that it puts itself on. For once in your life, child speak up for what you believe in. Fight for what you want, not what others want! This is your life, not theirs!”** she said.

I could feel my eyes twitching in anger as my mouth twitched as well. “I know what I want and it’s not what _you_ think! You don’t know me, nobody knows me but me!”

With a final cry of anger, I lunged towards the mirror and slammed my fist against it, shattering it in the process. All that was left was the wall where the mirror once was, and I was just glad not to have that nosey woman around anymore. Who does she think she is? She’s just as irritating as her children. Now I see where they get it from. I could feel the blood dripping from my wrist and with no bandages around, I frustratingly ripped off a part of my tunic – leaving it hanging out – before wrapping the piece of fabric around my wrist which seemed to do the job. I decided that I had had enough of being in this room, so I grabbed my sword and left to head towards the courtyard.

As I headed towards the courtyard, I noticed how the Randebu Stronghold seemed a lot more quieter than it did in the past two days. There were hardly any guards around and when they saw me, they only looked the other way. Whatever. It’s not like they’re worthy of my presence anyways. Along the way, I tried fixing my tunic, but I couldn’t seem to tuck it in properly while walking so I ended up just giving up. I could literally feel my hair pin almost falling out of my hair, since I had done a lazy job, so I just shoved it into the back of my scalp, not even caring if I did any damage. My appearance was already messy enough and if Sunshine had any problem with that, she could shove it up her ass for all I cared. Actually, I would really like to see that happen.

I passed one corner and I could hear hushed voices talking nearby. At first, I couldn’t care less about what they were talking about, but I stopped in my tracks once I recognised the voices coming from Morticia and Pollyanna. Quietly, I walked towards the nearest corner and listened in on their conversation.

“I’m just glad that Azula was able to track down her brother and uncle. I don’t know how much longer I can put up with Abby,” Morticia hissed, earning a glare from me.

“Calm down, Mai. We have to see her in a short time anyways and you don’t want to be angry when you’re around her,” Pollyanna reasoned.

“I just don’t get why she has to keep on constantly referring to us as Morticia and Pollyanna. Surely our own names are fine as they are,” Morticia said.

“I don’t know, I kind of like mine. Pollyanna’s cute,” Pollyanna said, earning an eye roll from me. Of course, she would think that.

“I just want this meeting to be done and over with, so I can go back to ignoring her. I can’t wait until we get back to the Fire Nation, so we can ditch her sorry butt,” Morticia said, with twinge of excitement in her voice that I’d never heard from her before. I guess I just have that effect on people.

“Well, we won’t be able to ditch her straight away. Once we’ve dealt with the Avatar and the others, we’ll turn her in for treason. We just have to be patient and we can’t afford to slip up,” Pollyanna said.

My eyes widened in anger. I knew that something was wrong with this whole situation, but I listened to my head anyways when I should’ve listened to my gut. My gut is always right and knows the best way to approach any situation and my gut said to tell Azula to get lost, but I didn’t and now it seemed as though I was going to pay the price for that mistake. But I wasn’t about to let that happen.

I stepped out from the corner, letting my presence be known and causing Morticia and Pollyanna to look at me with a mix of shock, confusion and even fear. “You’re going to regret saying that, Pollyanna!”

And just like that, it was on. I charged towards Morticia and Pollyanna who in return, did the same as well. Morticia used her darts and stilettos to attack, but I used my firebending to incinerate her worthless weapons that would have no impact on me. Pollyanna tried using her chi-blocking, but using my knowledge I was easily able to evade her attacks.

With her distracted, I was easily able to chi-block her, sending her thumping onto the ground, leaving me with just Morticia to deal with who kept on throwing everything she could at me. I was able to deflect her weapons with my armour, occasionally grabbing a few and throwing them back at her for good measure. I managed to catch a few of her darts and sent them flying back to her, immediately pinning her to the wall with no way to move.

I laughed wickedly. “Look at you two, bested by your own strength. I really don’t know why Sunshine would put so much faith in you _non-benders_. But alas, that was her mistake and now, I will be moving on.”

“You’re crazy, Abby!” Morticia yelled.

“No, you’re the crazy ones for being friends with the Princess of Crazies,” I yelled back.

And with that, I left those two minions behind and headed towards the nearest window. Using fire augmentation, I bended the fire from the nearby candles into a circling whip of fire and sent it straight to the window, destroying it in the process. I then propelled myself across the floor with my fire jets before bursting out of the broken window. I was now in the air and I hard a clear view of the entire stronghold, including the courtyard. I could see Azula in the courtyard with the Avatar, his followers as well as Iroh and Zuko. I wasn’t about to let her take all of the credit for what was mostly _my_ work. Fuelled by anger, I charged towards her with my jets of fire, prepared to take her on and defeat her by any means necessary.

In no time at all, I reached the courtyard and landed myself on the ground. Azula was standing there, almost like she was waiting for me with a sinister smile on her face. But I was about to wipe that smile right off her face. Whether I burned it off or not was to be decided. Our _audience_ was a little too preoccupied with their restraints and I took one glance at the waterbender, who glared at me but this time she appeared somewhat better than the last time I saw her, although she had a look of pure hatred on her face which didn’t bother me in the slightest bit. I was used to people hating me anyways.

“You!” she snarled.

“Me, in all of my glory,” I said, sauntering forward.

“Oh, _Abby._ How nice of you to join us. You couldn’t have made more of a mess on your way down?” Azula asked.

“I tried my best,” I said smugly.

“What in the name of Agni is wrong with your clothes? That is not how someone of your status should be presenting themselves,” she said, pointing to my dishevelled appearance.

This time, I laughed. “Oh, _please._ We’re in the Earth Kingdom! These peasants don’t care what we look like!”

“What is wrong with your wrist?” she asked, gesturing to my wrist that had part of my tunic wrapped around it.

I shrugged. “You mean this? I just had a little… incident with my mirror. No worries now, it’s been taken care of.”

“Where are Mai and Ty Lee?” she asked.

I chuckled. “You mean Morticia and Pollyanna? They’re just a little tied up, I guess you could say. Some minions you have, they can’t even use their own weapons to defend themselves. I can’t believe that you actually thought that _they_ could handle me. Next joke please.”

That useless Water Tribe brother decided that was his moment to but in. “Okay! What’s the difference between-”

I sharply turned towards him, giving him the deadliest glare that I’d ever given anyone, which immediately shut him up, but I wasn’t going to let him have the last word. “Stay out of this _peasant!_ ”

“What is wrong with you? Now is not the time to act like an uncultured swine!” Azula exclaimed.

I laughed again, even louder this time. “Drop the act, Sunshine. I overheard Morticia and Pollyanna talking. I know all about your little plan which by the way, never would’ve worked!”

Azula gave me that same, sinister smile that just made me want to burn the crap out of her. “What plan are you talking about?”

“You’re plan of turning me in for treachery, which I have not committed! I’ve been loyal to the Fire Nation through and through. I bleed Fire Nation red. I wouldn’t have gotten those three imbeciles for you if I wasn’t loyal!” I yelled, with my hand against my chest.

“Yes, you have done well. I was rather impressed with your work with the waterbender. Even I wouldn’t have had the ferocity to do that,” Azula said.

“Katara? What did you do to my sister?” that moron of a peasant asked.

“Shut your Agni forsaken mouth if you don’t want to receive the same treatment,” I snarled.

“Back to our discussion,” Azula said.

“Right, as I was saying, I’ve done nothing wrong, then. If anything, you’re the one whose wrong, you power-hungry, crazy, manipulative, psychotic bitch!” I yelled.

Azula glared at me, harder than I’d ever seen her glare at someone in my life and I returned the same, menacing glare. If looks could kill, we’d both be dead.

“You want a fight? Fine! Let’s go, right here, right now!” Azula yelled.

“We can finally settle this petty feud. Standard Agni Kai rules apply,” I said, getting into position.

“Hey, what about us?” that irritating brother asked.

I glared at him. “Stay out of this, peasant! This is between me and Sunshine.”

“My name is _Azula_!” she yelled.

In that moment, Azula decided to be the one to make the first move. She sent a large blast of her signature blue fire towards me, but I was able to block it by creating a wall of fire. Our two fires clashed, creating a mini explosion and sending smoke into the air. Using the surroundings to my advantage, I ran into the smoke before jumping into the air. Once I could see Azula, I sent several blasts of fire towards her, but she effortlessly dodged all of them, not even using her bending to do so. When I landed on the ground, I started running towards her, conjuring a large flame before sending it towards her but Azula used her fire jets to narrowly avoid my attack, which instead set the large wall behind her on fire.

We then chased each other with our fire jets, much like how the waterbender and I chased each other in our battle except this time, I kept my eyes open in every direction. Azula and I had always been evenly matched benders for the most part, although each time we’d fought in the past, I seemed to have the upper hand. Only time would tell if I would continue to reign supreme today. She was certainly living up to her status as the reining thorn in my side, that’s for sure. That voice in my head seemed to be leaving me alone, which I was grateful for. Not wanting to lose my confidence like I did in my battle with that waterbender, I kept on telling myself how strong and powerful I was and that I was going to win this battle which is exactly what I planned on doing.

After our game of tag, we stood opposite each other, sending blast after blast of fire towards the other. There was no time for resting because any moment of resting would give her the upper hand and I refused to let that happen. At one point, I was able to catch Azula off guard by sending a jab towards her right when she was leaning more towards her left. Now that’s what you call a simpleton mistake. With her briefly distracted, I charged towards her and once she gathered her composure, Azula charged towards me. When we were only centimetres away from each other, we both had fire-packed punches behind us and when our fists came into contact, there was a large explosion that sent both of us flying into the air and onto a nearby roof.

Groggily, I regained my composure before standing back up but when I looked on the other roof, Azula wasn’t there. I then caught the sight of blue fire in the distance and I looked up to see Azula coming flying towards me with the help of her fire jets. When she was only a few meters away from me, she sent a large sphere of fire towards me, but I propelled myself backwards using by firebending and sent a stream of fire towards the sphere, destroying it but creating another explosion that sent me flying across the roof until I slammed into a wall from another building. I fell to the roof, my body even more wounded thanks to the wounds that I had sustained with my fight with the waterbender. This wasn’t fair. Azula was in perfect condition while I was hurt enough. Maybe I should’ve waited until I recovered so I could unleash my fury on her.

I heard the sound of cracking in the air and a blue light blinded me for a brief moment. I looked up to see Azula standing on top of a nearby pedestal as she generated her lightning. Just before she struck it towards me, I propelled myself into the air with my firebending, narrowly missing being burned to a crisp. I’m sure that the Avatar and his peasant followers would’ve liked to have seen that happen, but I wasn’t going to give them that satisfaction. Once again, I used my fire jets to travel across the ground as Azula sent lightning bolt after lightning bolt at me. But I wasn’t going to let her get me. No way in Koh’s name was that happening.

“Yeah, come on!” the annoying peasant cheered.

“What are you doing?” his sister asked, clearly irritated.

“Well, I don’t know who to cheer for!” he exclaimed

“How about neither of them since they both tried to kill us!” she shrieked.

Ignoring their stupid banter, I stayed focused on the battle at hand which was the real issue right now. Not their annoying voices. Azula had stopped hurling bolts of lightning towards me and was now back to using her blue fire. We chased after each other, doing whatever we could to over power the other and prove once and for all, who was the better firebender. It was clearly me, but Azula seemed to have some delusion in that head of hers that made her believe _she_ was the better firebender. Yeah right. Maybe all of that lying finally got to her.

Our battle raged on as we charged towards each other. Both of our attention was entirely focused on each other, as it should be in an Agni Kai. I had competed in numerous Agni Kai’s in the past. Heck, that’s where my highest accolade comes from but none of them compared to the raw hatred and intensity that fuelled this one. All of those other fights were just about being the best, I never really had a personal grudge against any of my opponents. This time was different and for obvious reasons. All I could say was that I finally had someone to give me a real challenge.

Azula and I continued to send fire jab after fire jab after each other, using our own firebending to protect ourselves. As we stood facing each other once again, we both had enormous streams of fire hurling towards the other, narrowly avoiding them like always. I leaped into the air and kicked a blast of fire towards her, but she created her own fire tornado as our attacks collided. I could see our Agni Kai reaching it’s breaking point. If I stayed on top of my game, there was no reason why I wouldn’t be victorious. I thrust my fist down and sent a huge stream of fire towards Azula and she tried to dodge it, but the force of my attack sent her tossing across the ground and I smirked in satisfaction. Azula quickly got up and just as she was able to send another fierce attack my way, we were rudely interrupted.

“Princess! Look!” A voice yelled

The two of us looked up in the sky to see the Avatar’s bison coming towards us. When did that monster get here? Our glance then turned towards our audience, only to see that they had managed to escape from their seats. We had been too engrossed in our fight to pay attention to our surroundings. Too busy to notice that the Avatar, his followers, Iroh and Zuko had somehow managed to escape from their restraints. I looked at one of the nearby buildings to see the Avatar and those Water Tribe savages leaping across it.

Azula and I took one glance at each other, our Agni Kai forgotten as we sent a combined attack of our blue and red fire towards the three escapees, but the bison managed to get to them in time, rescuing them before thrusting his tail down and sending a huge gust of air towards us that sent us flying into the air. As our bodies twisted and turned, our eyes locked and that feeling of hatred overtook me once again as I sent a blast of fire towards her before using my fire jets to propel myself further ahead while Azula sent bolts of lightning towards me. Our battle in the air continued until we reached a nearby cliff that overlooked the Randebu Stronghold, with me standing dangerously close to the edge.

“This is your fault! Look what you did! Now Uncle, Zuzu, the Avatar and his followers have escaped! This wouldn’t have happened if you had just kept your Agni forsaken head on straight!” Azula yelled, pointing at me.

I glared at her. “Maybe if you weren’t so vindictive in whatever petty grudge you have against me, this wouldn’t have happened! I don’t care what you think but I’m no traitor, Sunshine!”

“Oh, really? Because I hear things. Things that most people don’t know about you and your little escapades around the world. You do remember that I am the daughter of Fire Lord Ozai, right? Only the best information comes to me,” she sneered.

“Shut your trap, Sunshine! I’m not falling for that trick. We still have so settle this,” I said.

“Fine by me,” Azula said.

Azula then sent multiple fire jabs towards me, but I was able to dodge them easily. I countered her attacks with more firebending, adding more fuel to the fire as they say except this was literal. At one point, Azula came running towards me with fire streaming behind her from her fingertips and before I could react, she sent a huge amount of fire towards me. Panicking, I created my own fire shield that backfired as I was sent hurling over the edge, with no energy left to create another large set of fire jets. I knew that this time the Avatar wasn’t going to save me and that this would be it. This was how I was going to die, falling to my death.

 **Well, you deserve it.** That _voice_ taunted.

That seemed to do it for me as I could feel something just snap. “No, I don’t!”

Time was running out and I knew that I needed to think of something quick to save myself when an idea struck me. My hair pin. It was still lodged into my scalp somehow and I knew that the ends were sharp enough to withstand the cliffs edge. I kicked out a blast of fire that sent me hurling towards the cliff as I pulled out my hair clip and gabbed it into the cliff to stop me from falling.

With my hair out and blowing across my face, I narrowed my eyes as I watched the Avatar’s bison fade off into the distance. They might’ve eluded me this time, but it only gave me more confidence as I knew I could get them at the palm of my hands. All it took was a little planning and evasive thinking. It was possible, I could capture the Avatar and I was going to do it again and then it was going to be permanent, so I could return to the Fire Nation and we would achieve victory once and for all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another mammoth of a chapter at 9 pages and almost 6000 words. Well, that’s that with Abby and Azula’s first official duel in this story and I will say one thing; it won’t be their last. In case anyone’s confused, Abby was having a hallucination of Katara and Sokka’s mother, Kya in the mirror similar to how Azula hallucinated Ursa except Kya is not Abby’s mother, I can guarantee you that. If you take it from an outsider’s perspective, there’s a clear change in Abby that will be imperative in the next few chapters. There was also some subtle foreshadowing in this chapter as well that won’t come into play later on in the story. 
> 
> Randebu is a Japanese word that literally means rendezvous.


	30. Abby Alone Part I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After the last few chapters, I think we could all use a break from the action and more importantly, Abby could use some time to herself which is why this chapter will be largely centred around her on her own, hence the title. This chapter takes place sometime during the Blind Bandit. Flashbacks and other non-present stuff are in italics and thoughts are in bold. I hope you guys enjoy it.

**_Previously, on Blinding Horizon_ **

_“What have you been up to recently, Abby?” Iroh asked._

_I gave a look to Zuko before turning to face Iroh. “Same as always. Training, working, fighting. I’ve won four firebending championship tournaments in a row, hence the name, the Dragoness.”_

_“Your skill did always impress me. The only time I ever saw that drive and determination in someone was in my niece,” Iroh noted._

_I internally growled at the comparison between me and Azula. The two of us have met on more than one occasion and like Zhao, she was also on the long list of people that I hate with every fibre in my body. I hated her, and she hated me. It was a mutual relationship._

***:** **･** **✧** ***:** **･ﾟ** **✧**

_Suckers. I can’t believe they actually bought that. If that were me, I definitely would’ve been suspicious for sure, but I guess I am smarter than these peasants. I have the knowledge to prove it and I always have been a master of manipulation. I’d even describe myself as a pathological liar. I could lie my way out of anything and on the flip of a dime._

***:** **･** **✧** ***:** **･ﾟ** **✧**

_Throughout my time in the Earth Kingdom, I have received scornful looks from their citizens just because I’m Fire Nation and when you add being a firebender on top of that, they despise you so with that added to the equation, I’ve also received some hateful words but then again, I’ve shared some ridicule as well._

***:** **･** **✧** ***:** **･ﾟ** **✧**

_“Don’t you feel lonely?” Xia asked._

_“Not really. I don’t really think about it. Instead, I put more focus onto my firebending. That’s why my bending is as good as it is. I take out all of my emotions on my bending. That’s what firebenders do, we use our emotions to drive it,” I answered._

***:** **･** **✧** ***:** **･ﾟ** **✧**

_Azula then sent multiple fire jabs towards me, but I was able to dodge them easily. I countered her attacks with more firebending, adding more fuel to the fire as they say except this was literal. At one point, Azula came running towards me with fire streaming behind her from her fingertips and before I could react, she sent a huge amount of fire towards me. Panicking, I created my own fire shield that backfired as I was sent hurling over the edge, with no energy left to create another large set of fire jets. I knew that this time the Avatar wasn’t going to save me and that this would be it. This was how I was going to die, falling to my death._

**_Well, you deserve it._ ** _That voice taunted._

_That seemed to do it for me as I could feel something just snap. “No, I don’t!”_

_Time was running out and I knew that I needed to think of something quick to save myself when an idea struck me. My hair pin. It was still lodged into my scalp somehow and I knew that the ends were sharp enough to withstand the cliffs edge. I kicked out a blast of fire that sent me hurling towards the cliff as I pulled out my hair clip and gabbed it into the cliff to stop me from falling._

* * *

**Abby Alone Part I**

* * *

 

Tired. That’s all I felt. It had been over a week since my altercation with Sunshine, along with the Avatar and his little gang. Since then, I had travelled as far away from the southern eastern part of the Earth Kingdom as I could. Now that I knew that Sunshine was after me, I wasn’t going let her track me down. I didn’t deserve to be treated that way. I was a legend, loyal to my nation. What happened at the North Pole was something that would never happen again. I only helped the Avatar and his little miscreants since it was for the benefit of me as well.

I still wore the clothes that I got from Sunshine, except I had discarded the protective armour long ago, since it would easily identify me as Fire Nation. Because of the time that I had spent in this filthy land, my clothes were now worn out and the red could now pass as brown, which wasn’t a problem for me.

The injuries that I had sustained from my battle with the waterbending peasant and Sunshine had slowly begun to heal, since I was being smart this time and not getting myself into anymore trouble that could be potentially harmful to myself. From now on, I was going to look out for me and for me only. I couldn’t care less about any of these unruly peasants that surrounded me, and I certainly wasn’t going to let them get in the way of me completing my mission.

After doing some thought, I had realised what allowed me to unravel during my time at the Randebu Stronghold. I had been tired due to the time that I had spent travelling and when you’re tired, that sometimes causes you to lose touch of yourself and you begin to see hallucinations that aren’t normally there. That’s what had happened with me. That’s why I had argued with my conscience and saw that hallucination of that Water Tribe savage. I needed rest and now that I had it, I was ready to continue with my journey.

As I continued my travels through the Earth Kingdom, I couldn’t help but think about what I was missing back at the Tatakai Stronghold. I missed being able to firebend freely, without the fear of being judged since they didn’t really take too kindly to firebenders here. I missed all of the plans that I had in place. There was so much stuff that I had planned before Daisuke sent me away. When he did give me the mission, I will admit that I felt a surge of pride overcome me since he had picked _me,_ out of all the other people that he could’ve picked since I was the best person for the job. I now know what needs to be done to get the Avatar in my clutches, which makes my past mistakes meaningless since I would be succeeding the next time our paths crossed.

Throughout my short life, I had achieved many accomplishments. I’d even go as far to say that I’d achieved more in my first sixteen years than most people do in their entire lives. That’s how much experience I’ve had compared to others. I had my youth, my skills and my intelligence to back my up as well. I was one of the youngest innovators that the Fire Nation had ever had. Heck, it was my idea to make the Fire Nation airship. I was thirteen and I had just finished reading the Senjutsu treatise and it gave me the idea of the airship. Majority of the Fire Nation’s tactics revolve around the warships and tanks, but after reading the Senjutsu treatise it inspired me to take a different approach and I would never forget the feeling satisfaction that I felt once everything had fallen into place.

_It was three years ago and the recent tournaments that had just taken place a few weeks ago had finished, which gave me more time to do the other things that I enjoyed on a more personal level, which included making my own crazy battle strategies and other luxuries. I had spent the past week in my room, drawing up plans for a revolutionary idea that would surely change the Fire Nation for generations to come. With my notes tucked in my back pocket, I headed to Daisuke’s office where I had pre-arranged to meet with him, since he didn’t like making spontaneous meetings._

_“You said that you wanted to speak to me in regards to something of grave importance?” Daisuke asked once I walked into his office._

_I nodded confidently. “Yes. I have plans that would be considered revolutionary and would be very useful in the Fire Nation’s march of civilisation.”_

_“Very well. Tell me these plans of yours, young one,” he said._

_I pulled out the many scrolls that I had with me and laid them out in an organised fashion, since that was just me in general. “With no question, the Fire Nation has been the leading country in the industrial revolution of the world. Our machinery transcends far beyond the other nations, once again signifying our superiority. Our warships and tanks are unlike any others and have been very useful aids in the heat of battle. But where there is success, there is always room for improvement.”_

_“What do you mean when you speak of this… improvement?” Daisuke asked._

_“We have only limited ourselves to the ground and the sea. We’re just missing one battle ground; the sky. If we control the sky, we can control everything and continue our march of civilisation in every which way possible,” I responded._

_“And how would we be controlling the sky?” Daisuke asked._

_“Well, I thought since we have warships for the sea, why not airships for the sky? That would give us the advantage in any battle, especially since the pathetic Air Nomads are no longer in existence. They didn’t have the advantages of modern technology, we do so why don’t we use it to our advantage?” I suggested._

_Daisuke seemed to consider it for a moment before he looked over the plans that I had presented in front of me and gave me his response. “You seem to have given this a lot of thought and I respect that. You also have a lot of ambition, which is one of the key characteristics in any leader, which you would make a fine one, one day. This idea is potentially revolutionary and could lead to many victories in the name of the Fire Nation. I approve of this idea and will not hesitate to bring it to Fire Lord Ozai’s attention as soon as possible.”_

_I couldn’t help but show the grin on my face, since Daisuke was normally someone hard to please and he seemed to be very pleased with the idea that I had presented to him. “Thank you for considering my offer, Master Daisuke.”_

_“You are very welcome. However, when I do bring this idea to his attention, I want you to be there with me since it was your idea after all,” Daisuke said._

_I was floored. I had only ever spoken to Fire Lord Ozai on very few occasions and from what I gathered, he was also a man that was hard to please, but he appeared to be a keen strategist and enthusiast for the Fire Nation’s supremacy. Under those appearances, he also had the demeanour of one of the most ruthless leaders in Fire Nation history. I mean, he burned and banished his own son merely a few months ago for Agni’s sake._

_“It would be an honour to present this to Fire Lord Ozai in all of his glory,” was all I could say._

_“You are excused,” Daisuke said, ushering me to the door._

_I was quick to pack up my scrolls and leave his office and once I was out of his door, I couldn’t hide the grin on my face once again. I had just proven that I was more than just a master firebender, and that I had more to offer than just my bending. Hopefully Daisuke would remember that in the future and I would continue to fight by his side._

That day was one of the many highlights of my life, but the one that would certainly take the top would be the day that I was declared a firebending master only a few weeks later. I had presented myself to Fire Lord Ozai with pride and dignity and he had accepted my proposition with ease. Within a few weeks, the blueprints for the airships had been made, with the help of a mechanist from the Northern Air Temple.

That surprised me, considering I was lead to believe that all of the Air Temples had been abandoned after the Air Nomad genocide, but apparently a group of Earth Kingdom refugees had sought refuge there and the so-called mechanist was a genius when it came to machines, so his expertise had been used in a number of Fire Nation inventions. I had met the man myself and he was quite odd to say the least, since he had wooden fingers and a circle around his eye, but he certainly knew his stuff. And I will proudly say that I had him terrified of me from the first few moments that we had met.

The last that I had been told – which was a few months ago – the first round of airships were nearing their completion, since they were intended to be completed by the day of Sozin’s Comet. Daisuke had given me his word in saying that since it was my idea to create the airships, that I would be the first person to board one and fly one. In order for that to happen, I needed to successfully complete my mission which was even more motivation for me to get the job done once and for all, which certainly helped pushed me through the difficult days out here.

Being in the Earth Kingdom, you’re constantly surrounded by rugged terrain, especially in the more remote areas. Their temperatures could even rival those in the Fire Nation. Under any normal circumstances, I would be able to survive out here just fine but since I was left by myself, with nobody to support me, it was up to me and me only to carry on.

Having seen what both the Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom had to offer, I was definitely given one Koh of a culture shock, considering things are done far differently in the Fire Nation than they are here. From what I’ve gathered, both aren’t as strict as the Fire Nation are and their people are a lot more free, but that also leads to disfunction in society, which once again proves why the Fire Nation is the supreme nation in every way possible.

This time around, I hadn’t come across many people which I was glad for since the last thing that I needed was to develop any sort of attachments like I did with Dhatri and Xia. Speaking of Xia, I still kept the amulet that she had given me when we parted. It was really of no importance to me, but I figured that it would eventually come in handy so until then, I would hold onto it. Barely anyone bothered me, and I didn’t bother anyone unless they did the same to me. Just by looking at me, they would assume that I wasn’t someone that they would want to associate themselves with based on my rugged appearance alone. It’s not like they would be worthy of being around me anyways.

The amount of time that I spent by myself certainly gave me some time to reflect. How could it not, since I was my only true ally out here? I thought about my failures and strategies that I could use to prevent them from happening again. I thought about what I missed and thought of ways to motivate myself to get back there. My thoughts were the only company that I had and sometimes that proved to be a good and a bad thing, especially when my mind is constantly going around the clock.

The nights out here were by far the worst thing about being alone, especially when I was tired and all I wanted to do was go to sleep. When you’re at that point, it really gives you time to think and those late-night thoughts that you have can sometimes bring out the worst in you. I just wished that I could be back at the Tatakai Stronghold where I belonged, not in this wretched place.

I had heard very little news about where the Avatar was heading. Unlike previous times, I had nothing to go on since there was no clear path for him to follow. I assumed that he would be in search of an earthbending teacher, since the next element in line for him to learn would be earth. That shouldn’t be too hard for him to achieve, since the Earth Kingdom hates the Fire Nation just as much as anyone else out there. His real challenge would be finding somebody from the Fire Nation who would actually be willing to teach him, since it is a risky move to abandon your nation and there would be heavy consequences to pay.

The only thing that stood in the Fire Nation’s way of achieving world supremacy was the Avatar himself and he was merely 12-year-old kid. The fact that he had learned two of the elements didn’t scare me at all. In fact, it only made him a half-baked Avatar. He’s nowhere near a fully-realised Avatar. Only once he is that is he a serious threat and he was far from that.

Speaking of threats, my mind drifted to Sunshine, since she was now clearly a threat of getting in the way of me from getting my prize, the Avatar which was something that we both clearly wanted but only one of us could get it. As the saying goes, there is only one winner and I intend to be that winner. Sunshine had always been a thorn in my side for as long as I could remember her. I first met her when I was only ten-years-old, and she was only eight. Yes, I picked a feud with an eight-year-old who just so happened to be the Fire Lord’s daughter. You know how they say it was love at first sight, well for us it was nothing but pure hatred at first sight.

_I was ten-years-old, and Daisuke had requested my attendance at his first dinner with Fire Lord Ozai, who had recently taken the position a few months ago. Although Daisuke was merely a Colonel, he was one of the more respected people by Fire Lord Ozai who often spoke of him in high regards, more so than the late Fire Lord Azulon ever did. This was huge for me personally because ever since I had stepped up in my training, Daisuke had taken a lot more of a liking to me and had begun treating me a lot more favourably since my bending had excelled far beyond most peoples in the past few months. Those extra late-night training sessions were finally starting to pay off._

_When we arrived at the Fire Lord’s palace, we were immediately taken to the dining hall where there was this long table and five chairs present and an array of food on the table. What I wondered was why there were five seats, instead of three just for us. The guards who took us showed us to our seats and we waited for Fire Lord Ozai to show up. When he did, he was accompanied by two other children._

_One appeared to be around my age and the other was slightly younger than me. I assumed that they were his children, Prince Zuko and Princess Azula. It was no surprise to me that their mother wasn’t there, since she had mysteriously disappeared shortly after Fire Lord Azulon’s passing. Rumour has it that she was less than pleased about Ozai’s crowning of Fire Lord, so she was banished from the Fire Nation._

_“Colonel Daisuke, it is a pleasure to have you here,” Fire Lord Ozai greeted him._

_“The pleasure is all mine, my lord,” Daisuke said before gesturing me to step forward._

_Ozai’s eyes landed on me. “And you must be Abby. Daisuke has certainly spoken highly of you.”_

_I bowed in courtesy. “It is the greatest honour of a lifetime to be in your presence.”_

_“I’m sure it is. I would like to introduce you to my children, Princess Azula and Prince Zuko,” Ozai introduced me to his children._

_I briefly examined the two children in front of me. Prince Zuko appeared to be more quiet and reserved. Princess Azula on the other hand had this mischievous look on her face and my gut immediately told me that she was a conniving little rodent. Nevertheless, I stood forward and presented myself with dignity._

_“It is a pleasure to meet you,” I forced out._

_Azula stepped forward, pushing her brother back slightly with the same look in her face that just rubbed me the wrong way. “Likewise. I can just tell that you and I are going to get along_ famously _.”_

_“That’s what I like to hear. Come, why don’t we all sit down and begin our meal?” Ozai suggested._

_The rest of us nodded and obediently followed Fire Lord Ozai to our seats. Azula made sure to take the seat that was directly next to me. I felt an odd shiver overwhelm my body with her sitting directly next to me. Her brother didn’t really seem to bother me that much and I wasn’t really sure what it was, there was just something about her that bothered me._

_At one point while we were eating, I had put my glass of water down, only for it to be knocked down and the water to spill onto my lap. It was by no means my fault and I glanced down at Azula, who had the most obvious smirk on her face, but I wasn’t about to make a scene._

_“Ugh, look at the mess you made. How could you be so careless?” she asked._

_I stifled back a response that might’ve earned me a punishment. “My bad. I thought that it was further away from me.”_

_“Allow me to show you to the bathroom,” Azula said._

_I inwardly sighed to myself before getting up to follow her. As she lead the way, she purposefully bumped into a nearby table that had a fancy vase on it, causing it to fall over and smash into pieces on the ground. I expected Ozai to be furious at his daughter, but Azula was quick to put the blame on me._

_“Two careless mistakes in the span of a few minutes? How inappropriate. I would expect more from you, being spoken of so highly,” she criticised._

_“What is going on over there?” Ozai demanded from his seat._

_“This idiot just knocked over great-grandfathers prized vase. Some agility she has,” Azula lied, earning a glare from me._

_“That was still a family heirloom that had been kept for generations. On the other hand, if it wasn’t going to be her that did it, it would’ve been Zuko, so you should consider yourself lucky that she took the hit for you. However, this sort of behaviour will not be tolerated. I think that the best way to resolve this is to put both of your skills to the test,” Ozai suggested._

_“What do you mean, father?” Azula asked._

_“I order the two of you to participate in a firebending duel. If our guest wins, she will have my utmost respect and that careless act will be forgiven. However, if she loses, she will no longer be considered a guest in this place,” Ozai suggested._

_Azula glared at me. “Fine. Challenge accepted.”_

_“I accept the challenge too,” I agreed._

After that, Sunshine and I had our first duel in the palace courtyard. We were evenly matched for the most part, but I was eventually able to overwhelm her and defeat her, much to her shock and right in front of her father too. Even he appeared to be shocked that I had managed to subdue his daughter. Ozai had commended my skills, saying how if I could beat his daughter with the experience that she had, I had a bright future ahead of me in the firebending world and sure enough, he was right.

On the other hand, that was pretty much what set off my everlasting feud with Sunshine. She was furious after I had beaten her fair and square, going off and demanding a rematch but Ozai himself said that I had proven who was the supreme bender. Ever since then, Sunshine had been unable to defeat me. I wouldn’t even count our last duel as a failure because it was not on fair territory. Under any other circumstances, I would’ve easily defeated Sunshine and made her look even more pathetic.

**Are you sure about that?**

_Seriously? Are we going to have this argument again? I thought that I’d heard the last of you._

**Well, you thought wrong. I’m your conscience. I’m always there.**

_Well, right now I’d wish that you just jump off the nearest cliff because I could certainly deal without your constant nagging._

**Really? Because without me you’d have practically no mind, no sense of direction or moral compass. Whether you want to admit it or not, you need me.**

_I don’t need you. I don’t need anyone. I can do just fine by myself. I’ve proven that countless times before._

**Sure, you have. What about your time at the Randebu Stronghold when you were literally hanging on by a thread? You had a freaking hallucination of a dead woman that you’ve never met for Agni’s sake.**

_Alright, I will admit that I wasn’t myself back then but at the same time, I was sleep deprived. I was lacking in the energy that I needed but now I have that back._

**Do I need to remind you that you’re arguing with yourself right now?**

_Do I need to remind you who’s in charge here? In case you’ve forgotten, it’s me. So please, do me a favour and get lost._

**Wow, I don’t think that you’ve ever used the word please before. I feel honoured.**

_You should. Now get lost._

**I liked it better when you were polite.**

_I’m never polite. Now do what I told you to do before I make you do it._

**Oh, getting feisty now I see.**

_Just fucking leave, me alone. I don’t need you or your snotty ass remarks. Now good riddance._

**Since you asked so nicely.**

Finally, I was left to myself once my conscience had decided to leave me alone. It bugged me to no end how my brain couldn’t take an Agni forsaken hint, but there was nothing I could do since it was inside my own head. At times I really did feel like I was at war with my own mind, since it thought and said things that I didn’t agree with on a regular basis. I didn’t realise until then that the sun had started to set, and that darkness was beginning to surround me. At that point, my body had decided to check out and I knew that it was time for me to rest since I hadn’t rested well in the past few days. I forced myself to continue walking until I found a sturdy looking ledge to situate myself on. Once I had created a small fire to keep myself warm, I managed to find the softest pile of dirt before closing my eyes and getting some much-needed rest.

~*•°•*~

I wasn’t sure how long I had been asleep for or what had happened, but when I woke up next, I could hardly move. My body was in pain and I felt like a heavy weight had crushed me. It took almost everything in me to force myself upwards and when I did, I saw that my entire lower body was covered with rocks and when I looked up, I realised that I was not on the same ledge that I fell asleep on. I figured that there must’ve been a rockslide while I was asleep, which would explain how I ended up down here with rocks all over my body. I suddenly felt a sharp pain on my right arm and when I saw what was there, I almost passed out. Because lodged in my arm was a giant piece of bark, with blood spurting out from it.

I reached over to it with my left arm before forcefully yanking it out from my arm, causing me to lurch forward in pain and even more blood to come pouring out. I could feel my breathing begin to hitch and I knew that panic was beginning to settle in. With no other option, I tore off another piece of my tunic and wrapped it around my wound in order to stop the bleeding, which it did after a few short minutes and I began to calm myself down. The pain from my legs was beginning to move up into my body and I feared that I might’ve broken _both_ of my legs and if that was the case, I was royally fucked then since my legs were my only mode of transportation.

With every ounce of strength that I had in me, I pushed the rocks off my body and once they were gone, I felt an overwhelming feeling of freedom overcome me as I managed to stretch out my legs. I knew that there was no point in trying to get up with the risk of hurting myself even more, so I just laid there. Thinking. Listening. Watching. What scared me the most was that every sound became so much louder, making it seem like things were much closer than what they really were. I could even hear the faintest whispering mixed with the loud noises, which to me sounded like a recipe for disaster. At that moment, I really felt like my own mind was beginning to turn against me as I heard every word and saw ever little thing, like a whirlwind of visions that I couldn’t even explain.

**You’re weak. You can’t even handle psychological trauma. How pathetic.**

_“I’m the Dragoness.”_

**Not a good one at that.**

_“There’s nobody out there like me. I am one of a kind and I will reign supreme.”_

**And it’s a good thing that there is nobody like you. After all, who would want to be some psychotic bitch?**

_“You’re nothing but a weak, spineless fool who doesn’t deserve anything that I do!”_

**What makes you so deserving? Is it your cold-hearted, manipulative nature? Or is it your outright obnoxiousness and lack of compassion for anyone but yourself?**

_“Isn’t it obvious? I want your head served to me on a silver platter!”_

**And look how that turned out. Didn’t he end up serving you on a silver platter?**

_“The Fire Nation is and will always be the superior nation, just like how fire will always be the superior element against everything else.”_

**Hm, are you really sure about that, now? Come on, just admit that you were wrong because deep down, you know that you were.**

_“Who do you think you are to just waltz into here and like you own the place, you wretched bitch?”_

**Yes, who do you think you are? You’ve got to admit, he had you there.**

_“But is that really what you want? Is this really the life that you want to lead? Are you really happy?”_

**Good question and once again, deep down you know the honest answer. You know the truth and sooner or later it will rear its ugly head.**

_“You strive for perfection to be happy, only to feel empty and lost on the inside.”_

**And how right she was. Why don’t you just do yourself and everyone else a favour and admit it to yourself? You’ll feel much better after you do.**

_“I guess all Nations have their flaws.”_

**That was probably the only time that you ever were honest with yourself and your true perception. So why is it so easy for you to admit it to someone else but not yourself?**

_“Sometimes you have to lose everything before you can truly find yourself.”_

**You should take Osamu’s advice. He’s had more experience and knows more than you could ever know. You’re just a reflection of what he once was, look at him as what you could possibly be.**

_“Don’t you feel lonely?”_

**You know the answer to that question.**

_“Go wallow in your own self-pity because I’m better than you just like I’m better than everyone else!”_

**Are you sure about that? Are you really better than everybody else? The waterbender did almost beat you, and so did Azula. And the Avatar has defeated you as well. Even the brother beat you with only his boomerang. What does that make you? The Dragoness? Hardly. Pathetic? That would be right.**

“I-I’m n-not p-pathetic,” I stuttered.

I could hear the voices in my head as they began to fade away, leaving me with just myself once again. Why was I suddenly hearing all of these voices? I must’ve hit my head during the rockslide. Yes, that explains everything perfectly since I was doing just fine before. I was just fine. There was nothing wrong with me. It was just my mind playing tricks on me, a perfectly logical explanation

I continued to lie there on the ground for what felt like ages, just lying there as the world moved around me. It felt like everything had just paused and I was just lying there in limbo, but I knew that I wasn’t. It was getting harder for me to tell what was real and what wasn’t, no matter how much I tried to justify myself. Hours had passed, and I had still barely moved, apart from a few twitches here and there.

Then I heard the rumbling from above.

Immediately, I used every ounce of energy that I had to lunge forward and move away before another rockslide came crashing down, landing right where I just was. If I had stayed there, I would’ve been crushed even more and probably even worse. While my legs felt slightly better now, they still hurt like Agni’s wrath, but I knew that I needed to keep pushing forward, even if I was somewhat handicapped. I looked around to see if I could find anything that would help me, and my eyes landed on a long stick nearby.

Mostly using my arms, I pulled myself towards the stick before grabbing it along with two nearby ones. Using my innovative thinking, I tore off more of my tunic and pressed the stick against my leg before tying the piece of fabric around it, keeping it in place. I then did the same to my other leg, giving me two perfectly useable crutches. I then held tightly onto a nearby rock, using every bit of upper body strength I had left to pull myself upwards.

Once I was in a standing position, I used the bits on the sticks that were poking out to grasp onto them to help move me forward. It didn’t take me too long to find my belongings, since I didn’t really have much with me anyways. With my stuff flung over my back that was hunched forward, I used the sticks to guide my feet and push me forward. I honestly didn’t even care if I looked like a mess, all I cared about was being able to move in a functionable way. Besides, I was used to not caring about what other people thought about me.

Based on where I was, it didn’t seem like there was anything around me, so I decided that my best option was to try and find some form of civilisation to see if I could get at least some help because I was willing to admit that I needed it. I knew that there was something wrong with my legs, but I had no idea how to fix them. If I could just find a physician or some kind of doctor, maybe they would be willing to help me. Until then, I just kept on moving forward, using every bit of motivation that I could to keep pushing forward, since I was beginning to run out of the desire to move on because all I wanted to do was just _rest_.

Once again, the sun was beginning to set, and I knew that I needed to find someplace to stay for the night, even though there didn’t appear to be anything out here. At one point, I did however catch the sight of smoke coming from the distance. For whatever reason, that seemed to spur me on even more, so I just kept on trekking through the rugged terrain, even though my body was screaming at me to stop. Maybe it was the thought of there being something good at that smoke that kept on pushing me on? I just hoped that whatever it was would be beneficial for me.

Finally, I reached the location of where smoke was coming from and when I saw what was there, I was surprised to say the least. There appeared to be a small group of wooden caravans that surrounded a massive bonfire. There were a few people sitting around it, each with a plate of what I assumed to be food. Just the sight of it made my stomach turn. Instinctively, I gripped my sword with my left hand, ready to pull it out and fight to get their food despite my current state. But when I saw a group of children playing around nearby, something inside of me told me to stop. And that’s what I did.

Immediately, my vision became blurry and I was struggling to see what was ahead of me. I stumbled over my feet as I tried to keep moving straight, but to no avail. Everything around me started to become more fuzzy as my head started to feel dizzy. With every step that I took, the worse I got. Finally, I lost my balance and fell tumbling towards the ground. Unable to stop myself, I landed head first onto the cold, hard ground and the fuzziness turned to darkness and with no way to stop it, I let the absence of light consume me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Isn't it funny how things can change in the span of one chapter? First, Abby's cool, calm and collected but by the end of it she's pretty much out of it. So, you got to learn a little bit more about Abby's past and her ambitions, along with her longstanding feud with Azula (AKA: Sunshine). Did you catch the shout out to the Mechanist after the first flashback? In case you missed it, the Senjutsu treatise is the translation for the Art of War, one of the most well-known Chinese books on you guessed it, war. Keep the reviews coming if you want faster updates since I have almost 40 chapters written and one of the most recent chapters that I've written was the most exciting one yet ;).


	31. Abby Alone Part II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place almost immediately after the last one. This wasn’t one of the chapters that I had planned, but I felt that it was an appropriate addition. Also, I got into an argument with the princess Azula account on twitter so that’s been the highlight of my year so far, lol.

When I next woke up, I immediately recognised that I wasn’t lying on the cold, hard ground that I had fallen onto. My first indication was the fact that I was lying on my back, not on my stomach. Secondly, what I was lying in felt somewhat comfortable, certainly unlike the ground that I had previously fallen onto. When I realised that, I immediately lurched forward, only to wince in pain as I did so. My eyes then turned to my legs, that had some sort of cast wrapped around them. I then felt some sort of pressure on my right arm and I lifted my sleeve up to see that the wound that I had sustained from falling with that rockslide now had a bandage covering it. The other wounds that I remembered I had also felt somewhat healed as well.

By then, my vision had become twenty-twenty once again and I immediately took in my surroundings. I realised that I was lying in a makeshift cot that I barely fit in and I saw my belongings on a stool nearby. It took me a few more seconds to realise that I was in some carriage, surrounded by other random items that I had never come across before. My attention then turned back to my legs, knowing that if I was going to leave that they needed to cooperate with me. When I tried moving my legs, they didn’t feel as bad as they did before, so I decided that this was my time to make a break for it.

I forced myself upright before swinging my legs over the cot and once my feet were firmly on whatever was below me, I held onto the cot before forcing myself to stand up straight. Once I did, it took me some time to find my bearings before I stumbled towards the stool and grabbed my stuff. There was dozens of nick-knacks lying around, which made it difficult for me to push myself through. When I made it through the mess, I prepared myself to step out from whatever I was inside of and pushed the rags open. The second I did though, I fell out of that place and onto the ground, causing me to wince in pain as I did so.

I then heard the sound of hustling from nearby and I instinctively grabbed my sword and pulled it out from it’s case, ready to defend myself from whoever was there. What I saw, was a middle-aged man covered in what were obviously Earth Kingdom clothes. When his eyes landed on me, they widened like saucers and he immediately held his hands up in surrender.

“Please, put the sword down. I’m not here to fight you. I’m here to help you,” he said.

“Help me? How? Why?” I asked.

The man gestured to my legs and lifted up what looked like a medical kit. “How else do you think that you ended up in there?”

“Who are you?” I asked hesitantly.

“My name is Nupura,” he replied before slowly walking towards me.

“How did you find me? Why am I here?” I asked.

“We heard a commotion close to the mountains and when we went to investigate, we found you passed out on the ground. We then realised that both of your legs had been dislocated and we took you to one of our carriages to help mend your wounds. I was just coming to help increase the healing process,” the man, Nupura explained.

So that explained what was wrong with my legs. While I knew that I had hurt them during the rockslide, I wasn’t sure what I had done since I had never broken a bone before, so I didn’t really know what sort of pain I was experiencing. But it made sense since I could feel the separation in my bones.

“What’s your name, miss?” Nupura asked.

“Meg,” I replied. Meg had become my impromptu name for when I was in the Earth Kingdom. It had worked so far, and I intended to keep on using it.

“Well, Meg would you mind telling me how you sustained those injuries of yours?” Nupura asked carefully.

“I fell asleep near a ledge and there was a rockslide, so I came sliding down with it. When I woke up, my legs were in pain, but I didn’t know what was wrong with me, but I needed to keep moving on. I actually saw the smoke from your bonfire from far back but by the time I reached close enough, I just lost it,” I answered truthfully.

“Well, you certainly had sustained a great amount of injuries from your fall, but we successfully managed to heal most of them,” Nupura said.

“Alright, well I appreciate that and now that it’s all been said and done, I need to be moving on,” I said as I forced myself to stand up, wincing as I did so.

Nupura shook his head. “I wouldn’t recommend doing that. Your injuries still need time to heal and your wearing casts. Please, join us for the next few days. We’re having lunch right now and you look like you could use something to eat.”

Almost immediately at the mention of food, my stomach turned. The last time that I had eaten a fully decent meal was during my short time at the Randebu Stronghold. Since then, I had been scavenging for whatever food I could find nearby, and I hadn’t really done a good job of finding some. While my head was telling me no, my gut – or stomach I should say – was telling me to stay and this was one of the rare times when I let my stomach get in the way.

“Fine. I’ll join you for the meal,” I said.

“Excellent! There will be plenty of food to go around. Let me help you get to the eating area,” Nupura said.

Initially, I tried to resist Nupura’s attempts at helping me, but I eventually gave in when I realised just how bad I really was. Although my legs felt better than before, they were still wobbly, and it was hard for me to even walk in a straight line. So, I let Nupura guide me to their eating area since I didn’t really know where it was myself. Within seconds, we passed a corner and I was face to face with the bonfire that I saw last night. There was an average amount of people surrounding it, and I could see the children off playing in the distance.

One of the men who were tending to the fire caught the addition of my presence and stared at me up and down. “Is this our guest?”

Nupura nodded. “This is Meg. I invited her to join us for the meal and she accepted.”

The man stepped forward and walked towards me before shaking my hand firmly. “Pleasure to meet you, Meg. There’s a spare seat next to Ole Rusty.”

I glanced to the man who he was pointing too, and he looked like he hadn’t bathed in ages. He looked filthy, like a bottom feeder. That was what most Fire Nation people saw Earth Kingdom citizens as. He wasn’t doing a good job of breaking that stereotype. Nevertheless, I carefully walked to the available seat and sat down, relieved to not have much pressure on my legs anymore.

“My name’s Dhruv, that’s Gorou, that’s Jurou and that’s Ryou,” the man said, pointing to each of the extra men respectively.

I noticed how Gorou, Jurou and Ryou’s names all sounded the same at the end and the looked practically identical, so I assumed that they were related. “Um, are they…”

Dhruv nodded. “Yes, they’re related. Triplets, in fact. Hence, the names. You must have a good eye.”

I shrugged. “Well, I do pay attention to detail.”

“Where are ye’ from?” Jurou asked me.

“Um, I’m from what was the town of Tu Zin. I’ve been travelling since it got mined out,” I replied, using the same story that I had told Dhatri and Xia. They seemed to buy it, which was good for me.

“Where are ye’ heading?” Ryou asked.

“Anywhere, I suppose…” I trailed off.

“You alright, kid? You feel tense,” Gorou asked.

My eyebrows perked up in confusion. “What do you mean _feel_ tense?”

“I’m an earthbender, kid. I can feel how you feel from your vibrations and right now, you feel tense,” Gorou replied.

That caught me off guard since I wasn’t aware that earthbenders had that capability. I always just thought that they were only good at throwing rocks and mud. I guess there is more to earthbending than the obvious.

“Well, I did just dislocate my legs,” I said, trying to think of another back-up story.

“You running from something?” Gorou asked.

“Um, I guess you could say that,” I muttered, not really sure of what else to say.

“What from?” Dhruv asked.

“You guys certainly asked a lot of questions,” I said, trying to put an end to that conversation.

“You certainly don’t give many answers,” Gorou pointed out.

“Touché,” I said.

“Well, what are you hiding from then?” Dhruv asked.

I sighed, still unsure of what to say until an idea struck me. “The Fire Nation.”

Ryou scoffed. “Aren’t we all. What do they want from you?”

“Well, after Tu-Zin was mined out, I didn’t really have many personal belongings. I was desperate, and I found a group of Fire Nation soldiers. So, I did what any other desperate person would do. I stole their supplies, but they caught me. I did manage to get away, though but now the Fire Nation army wants my head served to them on a silver platter,” I lied. 

Well, it wasn’t a _total_ lie since I had stolen from several Fire Nation armies who do want my head served to them on a silver platter. But, they want the Black Widow, not the Dragoness and I intended to keep it that way.

“Fair enough,” Dhruv said.

“That’s more stupid than desperate, though. I mean, who would be dumb enough to try and steal from a Fire Nation army? No offence, kid,” Ryou said.

I resisted the urge to shoot him daggers or fire any snotty remark and I could literally feel my jaw twitching, which it normally did when I was mad. I was by no means a ‘kid.’ I was an adult in the eyes of the Fire Nation. But they didn’t need to know that.

“None taken,” I forced out. “But I needed some supplies to keep going so it was perfectly justified.”

Before anyone else could say anything, a man clad in green clothes came towards us with bowls that I couldn’t quite see the contents of. I couldn’t help but notice how Ryou fought back an obvious eye roll as the man presented us with our bowls and it didn’t take long for his eyes to land on me.

“Who’s she?” he asked.

“This is Meg. She’ll be joining us for a short while,” Dhruv introduced me.

“Ah, well the more the merrier! I hope she likes cabbages,” he said as he handed out the plates of food.

Cabbages? Is he seriously going to feed us cabbages? But when I saw the food that was presented to me, it didn’t really look like a cabbage at all. As I looked closer, I realised that there was in fact cabbage inside that bowl, but it was more like a stir fry. Just my luck too, considering the fact that I hate cabbage, but I was starving so I just ate it like it was nobody’s business. Soon enough, we were joined by the others who were sitting in the area. They didn’t seem too phased with my presence, they just grabbed their bowls of food and started eating.

“It’s a shame that people don’t appreciate cabbages the way that they should,” the man said as he passed out the bowls.

“Yeah, real shame,” I muttered.

“Too bad the Avatar doesn’t have the same respect,” the man complained.

I raised my eyebrows. “The Avatar?”

Ryou groaned. “Here we go again.”

“Everyone sees him as the saviour of the world, but he is no saviour. He is the bane of my existence,” the man said.

“Yours too – I mean, what did he do, destroy your cabbages?” I asked, chuckling to myself but the look on the cabbage merchants face told me that this was no laughing matter to him. “He destroyed your cabbages, didn’t he?”

The cabbage merchant nodded furiously. “Yes! Everywhere I go, he is there, and he finds a way to destroy my cabbages! First Omashu and then the fishermen’s pier! What’s next? Ba Sing Se?”

“Why Ba Sing Se?” I asked.

“Because that’s where we’re going next. We’re a group of travellers from different villages around the Earth Kingdom and we’re heading to Ba Sing Se together,” Dhruv explained.

“Oh. But why Ba Sing Se?” I asked.

“It’s the safest place in the world from the Fire Nation. My brothers and I originally planned on travelling to Omashu, but after the Fire Nation conquered the city, we decided to go to Ba Sing Se instead,” Gorou explained.

I nodded, being aware of Omashu’s conquest. But I had to resist the urge to role my eyes at their claims about Ba Sing Se. Yes, it might be the last stronghold left fighting against the Fire Nation, but it was by no means the safest place from the Fire Nation, especially since it had been invaded once before. Everyone was aware of General Iroh’s six-hundred-day siege against the so-called impenetrable city, which was a lie since he had successfully managed to break through the outer wall. If only his son, Lu Ten hadn’t passed away on the front then we would’ve easily conquered that city and victory would’ve been ours.

“The Avatar certainly isn’t doing a good job of maintaining peace and balance. It’s only a matter of time before Ba Sing Se falls as well at the rate that they’re going,” Jurou said bitterly.

I nodded in agreement. “He might’ve stopped the Siege at the North Pole, but that was in the Avatar state from what I’ve heard and based on what I know about the Avatar, he can only fully control it himself once he’s mastered all four elements.”

“He’s only a half-baked Avatar as it is,” Jurou muttered.

“No! The Avatar is the best and he will beat the Evil Lord and we will be free!” a young girl exclaimed.

“Emiko, eat your lunch,” a woman next to her, who I assumed was her mother scolded her.

I chuckled. “The Evil Lord?”

The girl, Emiko nodded. “The bad man who rules the Evil Nation. The Avatar will win because the good guys always win!”

I scoffed. “If the good guys always win, then why didn’t the Fire Nation’s attack on the Air Temple’s fail?”

“She has a point,” Jurou agreed with me and I smirked to myself.

Even these people didn’t have faith in the Avatar to save them. It says a lot doesn’t it? These people don’t even have enough faith in the Avatar to win the war. They’d be right since eventually; the Avatar will fall, and the Fire Nation will finally claim victory in this war. But I wasn’t about to let that slip, since that would be asking them to kick me out from their little area.

“Don’t be such a pessimist, Jurou. In desperate times like this, we need to cling onto hope because hope is all we have, and we need to keep hope alive,” Dhruv said.

“But do you really believe that the Avatar will defeat the Fire Lord before Sozin’s Comet arrives?” I asked.

“What difference does that make?” Ryou asked.

“Well, Sozin’s Comet is what helped the Fire Nation begin the war. I’m sure that they have every intention of using its return to end it,” I replied, almost as if I was stating the obvious since I pretty much was. Are these people really that dense in thinking that the Fire Nation would be dumb enough to just let it pass? Because we’re not.

“Mommy, what’s a comet?” Emiko asked.

Her mother sighed. “Just eat your cabbage soup, sweetie.”

“But I don’t like cabbage,” Emiko muttered.

The cabbage merchant’s eyes widened in horror. “What did she say?”

“She said that she likes cabbage too much that she’s suffering from cabbage overload,” her mother said quickly.

The cabbage merchant’s look of horror changed to a look of satisfaction. Surely, he wouldn’t buy that obvious lie?

“Well, in that case eat away child!” he exclaimed.

I stand corrected. Either that mother is good at telling lies or the cabbage merchant is just gullible. I’m leaning more towards gullible, since it was fairly obvious that she was lying given how quick she was to defend her daughter. But I guess that’s something any parent would do for their child.

The rest of our meal continued in relative peace, just like how the rest of the day went. I spent most of my time away from their prying eyes, not wanting to get into any confrontations or unwanted situations with any of them. My plan was to milk as much as I could out from them before I continued my journey through the Earth Kingdom. I wasn’t sure where I would be going next, since I had no idea what the Avatar’s intended destination was now. Before, the North Pole was the obvious choice since that was the only place the Avatar could go to learn waterbending but since the Earth Kingdom was as big as it was, there could be an earthbending teacher anywhere which meant that he could be well, anywhere.

At one point during the night, I was just sitting by myself, mulling over how I could make the best of this situation. I knew that I needed to wait until my legs healed before I could keep going, but because of the help that I had received from these people, it was speeding up the process to a certain degree. I just planned on distancing myself from these people as much as I could because as I’ve always said, attachments are only a distraction that make you lose sight of the bigger picture. Almost on cue, I heard a slight rustling noise from behind me and I turned around to see the girl, Emiko standing there with a guilty look on her face.

“Spying on me, I see. Didn’t your mother teach you that it’s wrong to spy on people?” I asked.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you,” she apologised.

I laughed. “You, scare me? Impossible.”

Emiko sighed. “You don’t like me, do you?”

“What have I done to give you that impression?” I asked, genuinely curious.

She shrugged. “You don’t really seem like a nice person and you weren’t really nice to me before.”

“Well, I didn’t mean to make you think that way. That’s just how I come across,” I said.

“Who’s been mean to you?” Emiko asked out of nowhere.

I raised my eyebrows. “What? Why would you ask that?”

“Mommy says that people are usually mean to other people because people have been mean to them, so they don’t know how to treat others nicely,” Emiko answered.

“Well, those are her thoughts but that doesn’t mean it’s the truth,” I said.

“So, you are mean?” Emiko asked. “Why?”

“That is none of your business, child. Don’t you have a bed time to attend to?” I asked.

Emiko sighed. “I was just trying to be nice.”

I scoffed. “You’re not being nice. You’re being annoying and quite frankly, patronising.”

“What does patronising mean?” Emiko asked, causing me to roll my eyes. The stupidity of this child is amusing. Are they really this uneducated in the Earth Kingdom?

“It means that although what you’re saying is nice, it comes across as if you think that you’re superior,” I explained.

“I don’t think I’m better than you, and I didn’t mean to sound petranising. I think that we’re all equal and that we should all be treated the same way. Even people in different nations,” Emiko said.

I shook my head. “First of all, it’s _patronising_. Second of all, that is a very naïve way to look at it. Despite what _you_ might think, nobody is equal and not everyone will be treated equally. In order to be treated the way that you want to be treated, you need to gain your worthiness in the eyes of others. Without that approval, you’re virtually nothing.”

“That doesn’t sound fair. Mommy always told me that as long as you think that you’re worthy, what other people think shouldn’t matter and that people shouldn’t be treated unfairly because of their class or where they’re from,” Emiko said proudly.

I scoffed. “Well, I hate to break the news to you, kid but your mother is _wrong_. As good as that sounds, that’s _not_ how it works in the real world. That’s how losers think. How else do you think that people are successful? Because people think that they’re successful, which makes them worthy of that platform. That’s why there are kings and queens and of course, Fire Lords. Without that structure in society, there would be no more control and no control means the world would fall into anarchy.”

“What does anarchy mean?” Emiko asked.

Again, I rolled my eyes at her stupidity. “Chaos. Disorder. Mutiny. No rules. Does your thick brain understand that?”

“How do you know that my brain is thick? Can you see through my head?” Emiko asked.

Is she serious? Is that how this moronic child actually thinks? But then again, I am the one who’s arguing with a _child_. Of course, she wouldn’t realise that I was insulting her. I mean, they are from the Earth Kingdom. The place for uncultured swine.

“You seem to listen to your little mommy a lot. Wouldn’t she want you in bed?” I asked.

“Well, she doesn’t like me staying up late,” Emiko admitted.

“Then maybe you should do what she would want you to do and not what she doesn’t like,” I suggested.

Emiko sighed. “You’re right. You know, you really should try being more nicer to people. Maybe then _you_ won’t be so mean.”

Before I could even retaliate, she left, leaving me flabbergasted. How dare she have the audacity to say that to me? I’m _not_ mean. If anything, I’m righteous because I _deserve_ the platform and the success that I’ve been given because I’ve had to work harder than anyone else to get to where I am. I had to fight to earn peoples respect and I got it because I deserved it. Anyone who dares to disagree with me is a fool.

The more that Emiko spoke, the more I felt like slapping her mother in the face for planting those false pretences in her mind. Although it would be nice if it was true, the world is _not_ fair, and everyone is _not_ treated equally and there’s a reason for that. If everyone was treated the same way, how would punishment be justifiable? How would society be run if everything was fair? Society shouldn’t be fair, it should be structured and ordered. Plain and simple.

And what was that ludicrous claim about people treating others certain ways because of the way that they’ve been treated? That is ludicrous. People don’t treat other people certain ways because of their past experiences. People treat people the way that they deserve to be treated. For instance, the airbenders were wiped out because they were too weak to live in this world so that’s what they deserved. Those Earth Kingdom rats are treated like uncultured swine because that’s what they are. And the Water Tribe peasants are treated like scum because that’s how they act. They’ve done what they deserved. It’s as simple as that.

I couldn’t stand to be around these morons any longer so despite my reservations for obvious reasons, I grabbed my stuff and _left_. They didn’t deserve to be around my presence. I was too good for them. I deserve to be around people that deserve to be around me. That’s how the world works. Before I did leave, I was smart to steal a few of their supplies for my own selfish gain since they clearly didn’t deserve what they had. As I trekked across the rugged terrain that was from the Earth Kingdom, it wasn’t long before I found myself encountering trouble once again.

As I climbed up the nearby mountain, I heard the sound of fast footsteps from beside me and I was quick to pull out my sword to defend myself. But I was surprised when I saw who, or _what_ was standing there.

Because standing there was none other than the Blue Spirit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Abby has come face to face with the Blue Spirit and she has no idea who it is, but you guys do and that’s the fun part. Did you guys catch the Cabbage Merchants cameo in this chapter? I wanted him and Abby to have some sort of interaction and this felt like the perfect fit. For the record, I know that Abby’s claims and beliefs are pretty ridiculous and not true at all, but that’s how the Fire Nation sees the world in their extremist point of view and I wanted to highlight Abby’s acceptance of that in this particular chapter, especially after the last one. Fun fact: Emiko was actually going to be Xia’s original name but then I changed it because I liked Xia better.
> 
> Now for some translations; Nupura is a name of Sanskrit origin meaning anklet. Dhruv is a name of Sanskrit origin meaning faithful/firm. Gorou/Jurou are Japanese names meaning five and ten sons respectively. Ryou is a Japanese name meaning cool/refreshing. Emiko is a Japanese name meaning blessing/grace


	32. When Worlds Collide

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prepare yourselves for a potentially confusing chapter as it jumps all over the place and even I’m not sure how exactly everything’s going to go down as I write this. The last few chapters have taken a bit of a different turn than what I originally intended them to, but I guess that’s for the best so enjoy.

The Blue Spirit and I just stood there, staring at each other up and down on the rocky cliff. I’d seen countless posters of the Blue Spirit and he looked no different here than he did there with his blue mask, his stealthy attire and his signature broadswords. I had only seen a few broadswords before, mainly at Master Piando’s mansion during the time that I trained there. Most people believed that the Blue Spirit was just that, a spirit but then again, that’s exactly what they thought the Black Widow was, so of course I’d have my own reservations about his true identity.

It was fairly obvious that the two of us were analysing each other, thinking of what to do next while preparing ourselves for anything. I could tell by the way he was gripping onto his two broadswords, just like how I was doing the same to my sword. Eventually, I released my sword since the two of us had just stood there and I figured that if the Blue Spirit wanted to attack me, he would’ve done so by now. I decided to try my luck and made the first move myself, but a different kind of move.

“So, the _infamous_ Blue Spirit, standing right in front of me? I must say, I’ve heard a lot about you, being a wanted criminal and an enemy to the Fire Nation and all,” I started.

The Blue Spirit only just stood there, taking in my words. I decided to press on more and see what I could do to push his buttons. Nobody knew who or _what_ the Blue Spirit really was, and I intended to find out myself.

“I’ve met a lot of people in my life. Many iconic and legendary people who you’d only ever hear about out here. I can honestly say that I’ve never met a _spirit -_ if that’s what you really are. Though, I have had altercations with beings that I wouldn’t necessarily consider spirits. More like fragments of my imagination,” I lamented, looking for a reaction.

Again, he just stood there. Although, he did seem to be more relaxed. I will say that there was something about the Blue Spirit that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. I was still trying to decipher if whether or not he was human. For all I knew, I could’ve been having another bizarre hallucination. Like I haven’t already had enough of those.

“So, what brings you out to this part of the Earth Kingdom? Given your status as an _enemy_ and a _traitor_ to the Fire Nation, I’d figure that you’d stick to what you do best and what you know. Or are you trying to spread your legacy even further?” I asked.

I wasn’t really expecting a reaction from the Blue Spirit, since it would be stupid of him to reveal his identity when he could easily know who I am and that I could just as easily turn him in to the Fire Nation. Although, the more I paid attention to him, the more _familiar_ he seemed.

“You looking for supplies? There’s a group of people down there. They should be asleep, so that shouldn’t be a problem for you. They’ve also got some nice supplies that should come in handy. I’ve already helped myself to a few,” I said as I pulled out an apple from my bag and slowly began munching on it.

The Blue Spirit turned his gaze exactly down to where I had just come from, and I just knew that he was running over different scenarios in his mind. That’s one thing that you should always do before you act, think of anything that could possibly happen and do your best to work around it. That’s the sign of a smart strategist, which I was.

“Well, it was _lovely_ to meet you, Blue Spirit but I think it would be best if both of us went our separate ways. And here’s a word of advice; try not to get into _too_ much trouble because you’re already wanted in the Fire Nation. You don’t want an even bigger target on your forehead,” I said.

It wasn’t long before the Blue Spirit was out of my sight and heading towards the travellers. I didn’t feel bad one bit at all about slipping up information about there whereabouts, since that’s probably where he was heading anyways. I just gave him more of a reason to go there. The Blue Spirit’s identity still remained a mystery to me, but there was a part of me that wanted our paths to cross again so that I could get closer to finding out _who_ he was, since I was almost certain that he was human and not a spirit.

With my supplies and my body intact, I continued heading more in the direction of the southern eastern Earth Kingdom. Perhaps I could try my luck near the Si Wong Desert because for all I knew, the Avatar could be anywhere, and I intended to find him.

~*•°•*~

For days, I trekked along the southern eastern part of the Earth Kingdom. I tried my best not to put too much strain on my legs after the rockslide, but it was hard for me not to push on since I was determined to find the Avatar. Not too long after I started heading off, I used large sticks as crutches to help me walk better. I only rested when I felt like I was about to drop. I might’ve been pushing myself to the extremes, but I didn’t care. I wouldn’t rest until the Avatar was in _my_ clutches. Not Zuko’s and _definitely_ not Sunshine’s. She had enough things going for her as she did.

Currently, I was situated near a small creek below a cliff. Since the rockslide incident, I had been cautious to avoid things like cliffs and big rocks because I didn’t want anything like that happening again and I didn’t think that I would be too lucky a second time around. I only intended on spending a few short minutes here and wash myself, since it was safe to say that I was _filthy_. I could’ve passed as a peasant and I _hated_ that. I wanted to have at least some dignity while I was out here.

As I knelt down near the water, I used as much water as I could to wash my face and my clothes, wanting to feel as clean as possible. I wasn’t normally a neat freak, but I was _disgusting_ in my current state and that was something that I would not stand for. For a few moments, there was nothing but the sound of the water flowing past and the birds chirping nearby.

Then, I started to hear the whispering.

It was distant, almost inaudible but I could hear it. I could hardly make out what was being said, but just the way it sounded was enough to send shivers down my spine and make me stop what I was doing. Cautiously, I turned around and scanned the nearby area and I could feel my breathing hitch when I realised that nothing was there, which didn’t make any sense to me because I _knew_ that I’d heard something.

**Behind you.**

At that, I almost fell backwards but I managed to save myself and turned to face the creek and I could _feel_ my face losing its colour as I saw what was in front of me. It wasn’t _technically_ in front of me, but it was there nevertheless.

Lying flat on the water, was an almost ghostly like figure. It was a woman, since she had long hair and was wearing long, flowing robes unlike what men would ware. What struck me the most was that she was wearing red robes, like the kind of robes that you’d wear in the Fire Nation and she had a familiar looking headpiece on top of her head.

**_No, beside you._ **

Whipping around, I turned around to see another ghost-like figure except this one was made in the form of air. I could hardly make out much, but I could see it anyways. My head whipped back to the water and the woman in the red robes was still there. _What in the name of Agni was going on here?_

**Stop it, you’re confusing her.**

**_Like you haven’t done enough of that already. Besides, it’s not like she’s confused enough. Am I right, Abby?_ **

“W-what are y-you?” I asked glancing between the figures.

**_I’m the better part of you. The part that you should listen to. She’s just full of lies and doesn’t know what she’s talking about._ **

**You’re wrong. You’re the one who’s full of lies. Deep down, she knows what’s right and you’re just pulling her in the wrong direction.**

Am I too late to the party, ladies?

I groaned in frustration before glancing to my right to see yet _another_ figure standing, except this one had the appearance of a tree, although it wasn’t necessarily a part of a tree.

**_Nope, just in time to see Abby have another emotional breakdown._ **

“I’m _not_ having an emotional breakdown!” I shrieked because it wasn’t true. I wasn’t having an emotional breakdown. I was just having a… confusion breakdown. Yeah, that’s a thing.

It is not. But you are right in saying that you’re not having an emotional breakdown. The correct term would be a hallucination breakdown.

**She wouldn’t be having these problems if you two would just leave her alone.**

**_You’re one to talk, lady. You’re confusing her just as much as we are._ **

It’s not like she has enough confusion in her life as it is.

“Not again,” I groaned. I couldn’t be having another argument with my own thoughts. Although, this one would be different since I was arguing with three different things.

**_You consider us things? Ouch, we have feelings._ **

**No, we don’t. But she does. Abby, darling, I see so much confusion and hidden fear inside of you. Just let it out and embrace who you are. Who you were always meant to be.**

Clearly, she doesn’t know who she is, since she’s had several arguments with herself. On top of that, I’d say that it’s up to her to figure out what it is that she wants, instead of us telling her.

**_Oh, shut up both of you. Abby, you know what you’re supposed to be doing because you’re doing it already! You wouldn’t be doing it if it wasn’t what you were supposed to be doing. Don’t listen to these loonies._ **

**There is hope for you, my dear. You can still find the light. It’s only blocked by misguidance, but push through the rubble and you will find it. Find the light.**

“What light? I see no light! Or rubble!” I hissed.

**_Yeah, that’s just another proof that Little Miss Floater is full of garbage. Just keep doing what you’re already doing. Follow the path to greatness because there’s only more to come. You’re just setting yourself up for failure by listening to them._ **

Why don’t you two just let her figure this out for herself? She’s her own person and she has her own brain. She doesn’t need you two pulling her in different directions. Just let go of everything and do what you think is best, not what others think is best for you.

I literally felt like pulling my hair out. I’d officially reached the lowest of lows, having three different arguments with three different _things_. Slowly, I forced myself up and gathered my things as the three nuisances argued, but they only seemed to follow me.

**_You can’t escape us, Abby. We’ll be with you until you tell them that you’ve already made up your mind. Things will be so much better without those two._ **

**There is still a chance of redemption for you. Take it and do what needs to be done. You know what needs to be done.**

You must find balance within yourself and you can only do that once you solve the conflict inside of you.

I eventually started slapping my head, trying to get the voices that were constantly going at it to just shut the fuck up. I could feel myself stumbling all over the place, with no clear direction of where I was going but I had other things to worry about. I didn’t need their nonsense now. Not again and not ever. This is my life, not theirs.

**_You tell them, missy._ **

“SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP! WHY CAN’T YOU JUST DO THAT! IT’S ALL I FUCKING ASK!” I shrieked as I threw my arms out.

Without realising that I had done it, I ended up stumbling over a hill before falling over myself, getting multiple cuts and bruises along the way to add to my collection. Once I finally stopped rolling over, I struggled to find my bearings as I crawled on the ground, until something caught my eye.

Right in front of me, was a trail of white _fur_. I couldn’t tell if I was hallucinating or not, given the recent occurrences, so I knelt down and picked up a clump of the fur, watching as it blew away along with the wind, proving that it was real. I picked up another piece and sniffed it to see if I could identify what it was, since there was something strikingly familiar about it.

_The bison._

Once I came to the realisation, my mouth twitched into a smile as I looked in the direction of where the fur was going. I knew where that fur came from. It was from the Avatar’s flying bison. I guess those things shed too. Good for them, but it was about to lead me exactly towards the Avatar.

I wasn’t sure if this was the universe giving me some sort sign as to what I should do, but nevertheless, I gathered my composure and followed the trail of fur that would lead me to the Avatar, so I could _finally_ have him begging at my knees.

Just what I wanted.

 ~*•°•*~

The trail of fur had been long, extra-long. At one point, it started to dwindle, and I feared that I would lose the direction of where the bison was going. But once I caught the sight of a structure in the distance, I became confident that it would lead me to the Avatars whereabouts. That was enough to give me a new ounce of energy, giving me the drive and motivation to keep moving forward. As I did so, the surroundings became familiar to me, like I’d heard about them from somewhere and that’s when it hit me.

_Tu Zin._

The town that had been mined out by it’s occupants, rendering it abandoned. The same town that I had used as my fake backstory. I knew that it was close to the Si Wong Desert, but I didn’t think that I was that close to it. But I couldn’t help but wonder; what was the Avatar doing here?

Suddenly, a burst of _blue_ fire exploded in the air and I couldn’t help but groan to myself. I knew that blue fire from anywhere. Figures that Sunshine would somehow be involved with this. It was only a matter of time before the two of us faced off after our most recent escapade. After that, I saw a red fire jump into the air and I realised that Zuko was there as well. I guess this was going to be a family affair. No matters, while they were busy fighting each other, I would use that moment as an opportunity to get the Avatar for myself.

With renewed energy, I headed towards Tu Zin, determined to finally put an end to this once and for all.

Sure enough, when I arrived at Tu Zin, Zuko and Sunshine were engaged in their own brawl with the Avatar nearby. I couldn’t help but notice that his followers weren’t anywhere nearby, and neither was the bison. That didn’t matter to me, since it only made things more easier for me.

Just as the siblings unleashed two small walls of fire, one red and one blue, the Avatar leaped into the air and landed onto an upper outdoor level of a nearby building. Not wanting to let him get away, I sent an enormous blast of fire in his direction, hoping to either halt his escape or burn him to a crisp. Unfortunately, the Avatar caught the sight of my blast and managed to run into the building, barely missing my attack. My sudden appearance didn’t go unnoticed by the two siblings, though.

“Abby!” Sunshine growled as Zuko looked at me, surprise evident on his face.

“Hello, Sunshine. Zuko. Fancy seeing you here,” I said as I twirled my hair.

“How did you get here?” Sunshine demanded.

I shrugged. “Same way as you, I guess.”

“If you’re here for the Avatar, he’s _mine_ ,” Zuko said, standing in front of Sunshine with a look of determination on his face, “My _honour_ depends on it and you know it!”

I cackled. “Oh _please_. I’ve heard this story a million times. “I’m Zuko and I’m an hour freak who’s got daddy issues, wah, wah, wah, wah, wah.” You’re not the only one with problems here! No need to be so hot-headed, Hothead. And let me show you what I think about your precious _honour_.”

I then punched out a blast of fire, causing it to set a nearby barrel on fire as it went up in flames. “Now, I’d love to stay and catch up with you both, but I have an Avatar to capture. Or kill. Whatever comes first.”

Before they could react, I lifted both of my arms into the air, conjuring a fire in both of my hands as I did so before bringing my arms downward, bending my fire towards the ground causing an explosion to erupt that sent me flying in the air – as planned – and caused a gust of smoke to fill the area.

Landing on the same building that the Avatar had just been standing on, I burst through the opening, catching sight of the Avatar’s orange and yellow robes as he dashed past me. I was quick to create a small blast of fire, sending it in the Avatar’s direction and causing him to fall onto the ground below. I happily jumped down, landing perfectly on the ground as the Avatar struggled to get up. He soon caught the sight of me and gave me a dreadful – and almost pleading look. How pathetic, he couldn’t even stand his own ground. Although, he did like awfully tired with those bags under his eyes. But it would be long before those bags became ashes because I was going to end the Avatar, right here, right now.

“So, this is how it ends? You, at my mercy? Just like how it was that long, century ago. Your people didn’t get the decency of mercy and neither will you, because I’m going to end you. Right here, right now. It doesn’t matter. It’s not like people actually believed that you could save them anyways,” I said sinisterly.

The Avatar looked at me with his pleading eyes, begging me to spare him. There was a split second that I thought about sparing him and instead taking him back to the Fire Nation as the trophy I deserved. But I figured that it would be easier to carry him back if he was dead. I yanked him by the collar of his robes with my right hand and shoved him hardly against the nearby wall. With fire in my left, I prepared myself to deliver a final, _deadly_ strike. And this time, there would be no hesitation. I swung my left forward, ready to finish him off.

But that wasn’t what happened.

Out of nowhere, small bundles of earth came hurling towards me, trapping my wrists and pinning me to a nearby wall. I didn’t care about that. What aggravated me the most was that the Avatar had been spared. Enraged, I looked up to see a small girl, roughly around the Avatar’s height standing in the doorway. She was dressed in Earth Kingdom clothes, so I assumed that she was the one who had put me in this position. I will say that despite her small structure, she hardly looked weak, flexing her arms as she smirked at me.

“Toph!” the Avatar exclaimed in relieved shock, “What are you doing here?”

“I thought you guys could use some help. Besides, _somebody_ needs to teach you earthbending,” she said smugly.

“You have an _earthbender_ now!?” I shrieked.

She gave me a smug smile and stretched out her hands, “Yep. You must be that crazy firebender chick that they told me about.”

My eyes widened in rage. Crazy? How _dare_ they call me crazy!

“CRAZY! You wouldn’t know _crazy_ if it hit you in the head!” I shrieked.

I then flipped myself up and pressed my feet against the wall, causing the rocks that were binding my arms to strain. I gave them a sadistic grin as the rock that _was_ trapping me exploded with my red fire coming out. I then did another flip, this time kicking a burst of fire from my right foot towards the Avatar, but he and the earthbender managed to get away.

Determinedly, I sprinted after them, sending a stream of fire out the door as I did so but all it did was set fire to a nearby building. When I got outside, I realised that the smoke I had created had dwindled into the air and the two Water Tribe peasants had also joined on the assault, facing off against Sunshine. I could see that Hothead was lying on the ground in pain as his uncle helped him up. Well, it looked like everyone was here now.

“I see that everyone else is here now. Isn’t this just fun? We could have a party!” I said sarcastically.

“You’re off your nut,” the annoying peasant hissed.

I cackled. “If anyone’s off their nut, it’s Sunshine over there! My nut is perfectly on, thank you very much!” I yelled, tilting my head straight to emphasise my point.

With that, I crouched onto the ground and performed several spinning-sweep kicks to create a powerful ring of fire that expanded outwards towards my adversaries. However, the earthbender bended up a giant wall that my flames only smashed into, creating a hole that I only leaped through before kicking down another fire blast. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Sunshine looking to escape so I sent a stream of fire in her direction to halt her movements. But her uncle had already stopped her as she collided into his rounded belly, knocking her to her feet.

I stifled back a laugh as Sunshine got up, with the rest of us surrounding her in a corner. As the saying goes, she was literally cornered. My attention had shifted from the Avatar to Sunshine. Perhaps I could kill two birds with one stone? There was no way that Sunshine could escape from us, since she was clearly outnumbered and outmatched. This would be the only time that I would work alongside the Avatar. If it meant getting Sunshine out of the way, then so be it.

“Well, look at this. Enemies and traitors, all working together. I’m done,” she said coldly as she backed further up and raised her hands in surrender, “I know when I’m beaten. You got me. A princess surrenders with honour.”

_Liar._

Sunshine never surrendered, no matter how bleak things seemed. She’s not one to give up, much like me. I knew that she had to have had something else up her sleeves. I briefly glanced at the others next to me, with me standing on the fire right next to Iroh. For once, their glares weren’t fixated on me as they glared at the Fire Nation princess. I stayed on high alert, ready to fire an attack if necessary. For a moment, nobody did anything as we all silently stood there.

Then, I saw the slightest movement from Sunshine that caused me to react.

I saw her move her right foot to the left, as if she was preparing to aim a strike. I wasn’t about to let her strike first as I sent my own blast of fire hurling towards her. At the same time, she sent a blast of her own fire towards us. But it wasn’t for me.

It was for Iroh.

The old general screamed in pain as he fell to the ground from the impact and I sent a deathly glare towards Sunshine. The others sent a combined strike of their bending elements towards the princess. The annoying peasant even threw his boomerang towards her. This was the first time that I had ever seen the four elements used together as one. Although, I wasn’t getting in on the action.

As they sent their combined attack towards Sunshine, who conjured her own shield of fire to protect herself, creating a huge explosion. I knew that the impact would be big enough to create a cloud of smoke, which would be enough to open an opportunity. An opportunity for her to escape and I refused to let that happen.

Acting quickly, I leapt forward with the help of my fire jets, propelling myself into the air before kicking out a blast of fire, propelling myself forward as Sunshine made her escape as the explosion occurred. I could see her running off in the distance, and I wasn’t about to let this opportunity slip. With an extra kick, I propelled myself further towards the Fire Nation princess, ready to teach her a thing or two about sneak attacks.

If Sunshine thought she was in the clear, she’d been sadly mistaken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seems like things have gone a little over the edge for Abby, pun not intended. In case you didn’t pick up on it, Abby was having an argument with three different perspectives. I knew that Abby was eventually going to face off against Team Avatar/Azula/Iroh/Zuko by the end of this chapter, I just wasn’t sure how exactly it was going to fall into place, but I am satisfied with how it turned out. Now do you guys get why I made the earlier confrontation between Abby and Team Avatar along with Azula, since I wanted them to meet before this happened and it’s pretty obvious that this took place during the Chase. Also, from now on Zuko will be referred to as Hothead by Abby. I thought about adding Abby and Azula’s fight at the end of the chapter, but I decided to save some action for the next chapter.


	33. Where Loyalties Lie

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here comes another Abby/Azula confrontation but will it be any different than the last? Probably not that much since it will be just another hate-fuelled blowout. Hate can be such a powerful emotion, can it? A little refresh in case you’ve forgotten, Abby refers to Azula as Sunshine, so Sunshine is Azula.

I could see Sunshine ahead in the distance. She had been able to use their attack as a way for her to escape, but I wasn’t about to let that happen. She had to pay for what she did to her uncle, what she’s done to me and everyone else that she’s ever come across and I was about to make that happen. I was fairly confident that she wasn’t aware I was chasing her down, since at one point her speed started to decrease, which gave me more motivation to catch up to her. It wasn’t long before I was within striking distance of her, so with myself propelled into the air, I kicked my left leg down, sending an enormous stream of fire after her.

Eventually, Sunshine realised that she’d been followed before turning around to face my fire coming towards her, only to use her fire jets to avoid my attack that instead burned a nearby tree to the ground. What a shame, since I would’ve rather it be her instead of the tree. Her eyes narrowed as she glared at me with nothing but pure hatred before I eventually landed opposite of her, in my fighting pose.

“What is this, a game of tag? We’re too old for that nonsense, Abby,” Sunshine snarled.

I rolled my eyes. “I guess you could call it a game of tag, since I have been chasing you and now I’m finally about to bring you down.”

Sunshine scoffed. “Really? _You’re_ going to bring _me_ down? You hardly seem to be in the condition for that.”

“So, what if I’ve had a few bumps along the way? My firebending is still at its peak and I could easily take you on right here, right now!” I yelled.

“If you want to fight, fine then. Let’s fight. At least now you can properly pay for your treachery,” Sunshine said.

At that comment, I felt something inside of me twitch. How _dare_ she call me a traitor when I’ve been nothing _but_ loyal to our nation! I was going to show her just how loyal I could really be. With my anger to motivate me, I sent multiple fire blasts her way, but she was easily able to evade them which only enraged me even more. This clearly wasn’t the first time that Sunshine and I had duelled, and I was prepared to show her once again why I am and will always be the supreme bender.

For the most part, I remained focused on the task at hand which was to burn Sunshine to as much of a crisp as I possibly could. That was all I needed since the last thing I wanted to have was another argument with myself, even if my mind was still slightly fuzzy. Sunshine sent an enormous fire pinwheel towards me, bigger than any one that I had seen but I was able to halt its advance by punching a fire blast towards it. I then leaped into the air and sent my own pinwheel after the crazed Fire Nation princess.

“Using my own attack against me? Oh, how _original,_ ” she said sarcastically.

“Who was the first person out of us to do a fire pinwheel? Oh, I think it was _me_ ,” I hissed, knowing that it was true since I was doing fire pinwheels when I was twelve.

After that brief moment, we went back to our battle, occasionally taunting each other as we did. The one thing I could appreciate about Sunshine was that she was a smart fighter and knew how to push her opponent’s buttons to get them to lose, but I wasn’t about to let her do that to me. If anything, I was going to press _her_ buttons so that _she_ would lose, and I knew just how to do it.

“So, Sunshine. Have you heard from your _mother_ recently or is she still MIA?” I asked wickedly.

“Don’t you _dare_ mention that wrench!” she yelled.

“Try and stop me!” I taunted. “I wonder where your mother is now? Maybe she went off and started her own pretty little family and replaced you? Who needs a crazed daughter anyways when you can have a perfectly normal child?”

“You’re not one to talk!” she yelled.

“I’m _not_ CRAZY!” I shrieked.

With that, I thrust my arm down, sending a stream of fire towards my rival, who was yet again able to dodge it by using her firebending to leap into the air while sending several fire blasts towards me. I was already one step ahead of her, swinging my arms up then black, with red flames shooting from my hands that allowed me to propel myself across the ground. Sunshine, realising what I was doing copied my movements, propelling herself across the ground as well. And she calls _me_ unoriginal when she’s the one whose copying what _I’m_ doing. How hypocritical!

The two of us headed towards each other, me with my eyes narrowed in determination. Once I was in a close enough distance from Sunshine, I abruptly halted my advance, leaping forward and sending a powerful blast towards her. I failed to realise that she too had the same thought as blue and red fire once again collided, creating a massive explosion that sent both of us flying into the air. I grunted as I flew across the ground, my body twisting in turning in positions that it’s not supposed to be in. I gasped as I forced myself up, seething in pain as I arched my back upwards. My jaw twitched as I glared at Sunshine who was pulling herself up. Time for some more mind games.

“Oh, Sunshine! I talked to your mother the other day. She said that there isn’t a day that she goes by without thinking of your brother and that you’re nothing but a _crazed, distant, forgotten_ memory!” I taunted.

Sunshine gave me a deathly glare, and I could see that what I had said was taking it’s toll on her since she didn’t look as focused as she normally does when she’s trying to kill someone. I speak from experience.

“Opps, did I strike a nerve?” I asked carelessly as I stepped forward.

Sunshine then made an undistinguishable sound that sounded a lot like a growl before she whipped her arms around in circular motions. At first, I thought that she was preparing herself to generate lightning, but then I realised that she was conjuring a massive blast of fire behind her before she sent it flying towards me. For a brief moment, I felt my breathing hitch as I felt the burning blue fire coming towards me. Instead of dodging the attack like any normal person would do, I just stood there and waited for it to reach me.

When the scorching fire was less than a few meters away from me, I took a deep breath before reaching my arm outwards and using fluid motion, I was able to grasp control of the blue fire, feeling it’s intense power as I did so before redirecting it back at it’s producer. Sunshine appeared to be shocked by it’s change of target and barely had time to react before she narrowly evaded my attack. I couldn’t help but feel empowered by the strength of her fire during the brief time that I had it’s control. That must be what it feels like for her on a regular basis and I only wished that I could feel that same power. Why haven’t I experienced that power yet? I’m easily a stronger firebender than she is but my fire is only your typical red. I always did want my own colour for my fire.

“Didn’t see that coming, did you? I thought your _daddy_ would’ve told you that flame redirection was a thing. I guess not. He most not think that you’re _worthy_ enough to know something as powerful as that. How does it feel having your own fire turned against you, hm?” I taunted.

“I am worthy of all firebending, just like I’m worthy of the blue fire, unlike _you_ because you’re too pathetic to handle anything more,” she sneered.

Getting back into fighting mode, I sent a fire whip towards Sunshine, but she countered it with her own fire whip as blue and red fire clashed once again. Little by little, I could see that she was beginning to snap, and I intended to snap her as much as I could before delivering the final blow. After that, I sent multiple charged attacks towards her, but like always, she managed to block them using her own fire shield. Sunshine then augmented the fire the fire around her before sending a massive attack towards me. Thinking quickly, I created a wall of flames around me that managed to block her attack.

Sunshine’s attacks started to become more ferocious and quick-timed, giving me less time to evade them. At one point, she sent a mini-fire comet towards me, a level of mastery that only a few firebenders have achieved. Using jet propulsion, I was able to skate around her attacks as she sent multiple fire jabs and fire balls my way. With speed and agility on my side, I was easily able to dodge and evade her attacks as I circled her, making it more difficult for her to strike me. Sunshine tried her best to halt my advancements, but I was able to increase my speed by punching my fist forward, while also aiming it at her as well. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her launch yet another intense attack towards me, but I was able to catapult myself into the air by sending a blast of fire towards the ground.

“Getting tired yet?” I taunted while smiling viciously at the deteriorating princess below me.

“NEVER!” she shrieked, sending a fire blast towards me that I avoided by propelling myself in the other direction.

I smirked to myself, realising that my plan of attack was beginning to work and that it would only be a matter of time before I defeated her. This is why it’s always better to be with me than against me because if you’re against me, you have to be able to defend yourself which most people normally can’t do. As I descended to the ground, I kicked my foot down, sending a stream of fire after Sunshine, who used her jet propulsion to speed ahead. I could see a bigger forest ahead of me and I refused to let her elude me.

With my hands clasped together, I sent an enamours strike of fire towards her, using every ounce of power I had to mow her down while I kept myself elevated in the air. The rage and determination inside of me only fuelled my attacks even more, wanting nothing more than to put an end to our feud. If I could have Sunshine off my tail, then my life would be so much easier. She’s always been nothing but a nuisance, finding ways to make my life more miserable and difficult than it needs to be. Life was so much better during those three years that I spent away from her, even if she found a way to work herself into every conversation that I had when she was nowhere in sight. By getting rid of her, I would be doing more than just myself a favour. I’m sure that the Avatar would appreciate having one lest person chasing him across the world. That was my job and my job only.

I could feel my power dwindling, so I spun myself around and kicked one more powerful blast of fire her way, which successfully halted her advancement while burning down several nearby trees. As she got up, I could feel her glaring daggers at me, but I was used to that look by now, so it didn’t bother me. Suddenly, she started twisting and turning her arms in a circular motion and it didn’t take long for me to register what she was doing as the lighting began to form around her, making a crackling sound in the air around us.

Sunshine hurriedly went through her movements, quickly bringing the energies around her together as she called out to me mockingly, “You’re nothing but a no-good _traitor_ who needs to rely on other people to succeed! Unlike me, who’s far better and superior than you could ever strive to be!”

With that, she hurled a powerful bolt of lightning my way and I used my fire jets to narrowly avoid getting barbecued alive. I glared at her as I made my next move, “You just blasted your _uncle_ with fire. Sounds pretty treacherous to me! And at least I don’t have to rely on my daddy’s resources to get by! Without those, you’d be nothing but a pathetic savage!”

“Who are _you_ calling a savage when you look like you just crawled out from a ditch and haven’t showered in months!” she taunted as she sent several blasts of blue fire towards me, that I countered with my red fire.

“Well, maybe that’s because I haven’t!” I yelled, my rage only intensifying my firebending.

The two of us just stood there as we battled each other’s fire as they collided in the middle, knowing that any sudden move could be lethal. We just stood there, glaring at each other up and down as we sent taunt after taunt at each other.

“You’ve really gone downhill, haven’t you Abby? What a _shame_ , you had so much potential,” Sunshine snarled.

“Says the one who’s deteriorating more and more! I wonder how your _daddy_ will feel when he hears about this? If you’re lucky, he’ll only _banish_ you without the scar that he gave your brother!” I taunted.

“I wonder how _Daisuke_ will feel when he finds out that you’ve turned traitor. He’s probably already heard about it and plans on disowning you, not that he hadn’t already!” she yelled back.

“What do you mean by that?” I asked as our fire disintegrated into nothing, leaving us just standing there as we stood against each other. Sunshine only gave me a sinister smirk that made me want to burn her to a crisp even more, but not before I got my answers, “What do you mean by that?”

Sunshine chuckled, “Well, I guess you should find out before I _destroy_ you. He never believed that you could defeat the Avatar. How could you, after his assault on the North Pole that you _somehow_ managed to avoid? It was nothing but a suicide mission, a way for him to get _rid_ of you. Who would want you anyways, when you can hardly hold your own against a mere fourteen-year-old girl? You’re just _worthless_ and it’s about time that you realised it!”

**She’s right, you know. You’re naïve if you think anybody you’ve met ever really cared about you. Why would they, when you’ve never cared about them? You’re just _worthless_ and that’s how everybody’s always seen you. Don’t deny the truth when you know it.**

I felt something inside of me snap as my jaw twitched in anger and I glared at Sunshine with rage, “What about you? Did you ever think that your mother just left because she was too disgusted to have a daughter like _you_? Who would want somebody as deranged and demented as you? That’s what everybody sees you as, the crazy, nut job Fire Nation princess who does her daddy’s dirty work so that he doesn’t have to put up with the miserable likes of _you_!”

In one final display of power combined with anger, I sent a charged attack towards Sunshine, not even caring what happened to her as I propelled myself into the air. After sending one final, potentially _lethal_ attack her way, I zipped through the forest, using my fire jets to propel myself from tree to tree. I couldn’t _stand_ being around Sunshine anymore after that, so I needed to leave her there and all I could do was hope that she’d perished as I tried to rid myself of those thoughts that were now clouding my mind.

~*•°•*~

Hours had passed, and night had soon fallen. It was hard to tell what time it was, but I’d say that it was roughly somewhere in the early morning. If that was the case, I would’ve been close to staying awake for twenty-four hours. I had done it countless times before, when I’d need to throw in extra training hours. It didn’t end up phasing me that much since almost immediately when the sun came up, I’d feel a new ounce of energy surge through my body. That was one of the good things about being a firebender, no matter how tired you were, the sun would always perk you up, literally.

The main reason why I had continued walking was because I didn’t want to give Sunshine the chance to track me down if that’s what she planned on doing. I refused to let her hunt me down, and I wasn’t going to let her get anywhere near me. I also had the additional company of those Agni forsaken _voices_ in my head. They had been going off like crazy after my unofficial Agni Kai with Sunshine, telling me everything that I hated to hear and everything that I didn’t want to hear. It was just the same thing, all said at once and it was driving me crazy to the point where I almost couldn’t handle it.

**You’re pathetic.**

**You’re worthless.**

**Azula is right, who would want you? Answer: nobody.**

**You’re nothing but a pawn to Daisuke, he doesn’t really care about you. Nobody does.**

**If you were to just drop off the face of the earth, you’d be doing everybody a favour.**

**Just save everyone the trouble and kill yourself.**

“ENOUGH!” I shrieked while letting out a blast of fire, causing the birds and other animals that were surrounding me to run in any opposite direction, “I’m _not_ pathetic. I’m _not_ worthless. I’m _not_ unwanted. I’m _not_ a pawn. I’m not! I’m not! I’m not! I’m not! I’m not! I’m not!”

I must’ve said it over a hundred times before I once again wasn’t paying attention to where I was going and tripped over a stray log. Angered by my carelessness, I set it on fire. I forced myself to get up, limping as I did so, and I cursed myself for once again hurting myself. At least it wasn’t my legs, since I could deal with an ankle injury. As I continued walking, I caught the sight of a fire flickering in the distance. I seemed to be spotting a lot of fires lately, but I didn’t care. I was hungry and tired and just need something for myself.

Ignoring the pain in my right ankle, I continued to trudge along the rugged Earth Kingdom terrain that I had seen far too much of recently. Now more than ever there was nothing more that I wanted to do than to go back to the Tatakai Stronghold where I belonged. I wasn’t meant to live like a savage. This was _not_ what I was born for. I did not deserve to have to go through this. Eventually, I was close enough to the fire that I had spotted to get a closer look at the campsite in the distance. I sighed when I realised that it was a Fire Nation base near the edge of a waterfall, meaning that they most likely wouldn’t give me any help at free will given the fact that I looked like an Earth Kingdom peasant.

Well, if they weren’t going to give what I needed to me, maybe they would give it to the Black Widow.

~*•°•*~

With my Black Widow disguise appropriately covering my body, I scaled across the nearby cliff that surrounded their campsite. I had forgotten the last time I had disguised myself as the Black Widow. It must’ve been when I had invaded that other Fire Nation campsite shortly after my visit to that crazy fortune-teller. I bet she’d be surprised if she could see me now. As I clung to the cliff using my daggers that I kept tucked in my shoes, I scanned the surrounding area. There didn’t appear to be much to worry about, since it seemed as though nobody was insight. All I could see was the fire that had gotten my attention miles away.

Confidently, I hoped down the wall, ready to make my ambush. I hid behind the nearby trees and peered around for good measure before assuring myself that it was clear and made my move. I snuck past the tents and tanks that were around, ready to just get the supplies that I needed and _leave_. Honestly, I felt more confident as the Black Widow since stealing other peoples supplies dressed as her didn’t phase my conscience that much. I could just take whatever I wanted and be okay with it, since the Black Widow was able to separate me from who I really was.

Eventually, I found where their supplies were kept and just took as many as anything that I could. I then felt the urge to sabotage whatever I could and tried to damage their tanks as much as I could. I just wanted to destroy whatever was in my path, that’s all there was to it. They wouldn’t know what hit them when they saw it. However, I had been too distracted by my destructive war path to hear what was going on around me.

“You hear something?” A voice asked.

I froze, immediately stopping what I was doing.

“It’s the Black Widow!” Another exclaimed.

“Attack her!” Somebody else exclaimed.

Cursing myself, I dropped what I currently had in my hands and made a run for it with the supplies that I had stolen. Soon enough, I was surrounded by Fire Nation soldiers holding all kinds of weapons, weapons that I had seen before but never really had them aimed at me. I knew that I needed an escape route, but there was nothing insight that would be useful for me. Plus, I was trying to dodge their attacks while simultaneously trying to find a way out. I seemed to have lost my touch with multi-tasking.

My eyes then caught sight of the waterfall that was only a few meters away and I thought of an idea that was probably crazy, but smart for me anyways. I grabbed one of the smoke bombs that I had stolen and threw behind me, creating a massive explosion that only aided me as I jumped off the cliff before throwing my supplies to the side. It felt strange, being airborne. I almost felt a sense of weightlessness for the first time in a long time, like everything actually felt right. But then, I remembered what and why I was doing before snapping back into reality and bracing myself for my landing, which was cold, hard and wet.

I landed right near the base of the waterfall, only a few meters away from a group of rocks that most likely wouldn’t have been a cushiony landing zone. I quickly emerged from the water, gasping for air as I did so. I looked up to the top of the waterfall, where I could faintly hear voices that soon disappeared, and I was relieved once they did, meaning that I was in the clear. For the most part, I just followed the water as it travelled until I managed to make it to the nearby edge, exhaustingly pulling myself up as I did.

In that moment, I realised just how tired I was after the recent events that had happened. I knew that I needed to find someplace safe to rest and here certainly wasn’t the right place. Once I gathered the supplies that I had stolen and undressed myself of my Black Widow disguise, I continued walking, hoping to find somewhere to finally be at ease with myself and rest because that’s all I wanted. I couldn’t care less about the Avatar at this stage.

Tiredly, I continued walking, almost collapsing several times as I did. The voices in my head seemed to settle down after that, which I was grateful for since they annoyed me to no end. I don’t know how anyone else could deal with it, since I was barely managing to cope with them. They made me want to set my head on fire more than half the time just so I won’t have to listen to them because they’re always there, whether I’m asleep or not.

After a few more hours, I could see that the sun was beginning to rise and I groaned at the realisation that I had now been up for over an entire day. Normally that wouldn’t phase me, but after everything that’s happened, I just felt so tired and exhausted. Mentally and physically. I had almost reached my wits end and there was nothing more that I needed than some rejuvenation.

At one point, I heard the slightest snap of twig from nearby and my head immediately whipped in that direction. I then heard another noise and another so I just stood there, tightly gripping onto my sword and ready to use it if necessary. I didn’t need to see what was there to know that something was there because I could just feel it.

“Whoever’s there, show yourself and face me!” I demanded.

There was silence for a few moments and then, I heard what sounded like a deep breath and a popping noise from above. I immediately looked up to see what was there, but all I saw was a dart coming flying towards me. I managed to get out of it’s way, with it landing in a nearby tree instead as dozens of darts came flying towards me. I hid behind the nearby trees, using my sword to deflect the darts when necessary. Realising that I was under attack, I started running away, not wanting to let them get anywhere near me.

Then, I felt a stinging sensation go through the left side of my neck. Dizziness immediately overwhelmed me as I stumbled around, struggling to stand up right. I forcefully yanked out the dart that was lodged in my neck and my eyes widened as I realised what it was.

A Shirshu-spit dart.

They were a non-lethal weapon, but enough to paralyse their victim and render them unconscious for the short time being. I could feel myself beginning to lose touch with reality as I stumbled even more before collapsing onto the ground, feeling a numbing sensation as I felt the Shirshu-spit dart overwhelm my body. It wasn’t long before I was completely immobile, just lying there paralysed. Soon, I heard several footsteps around me and I knew that I was surrounded, but was lying face down so I couldn’t see who or what it was.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could make out several blurry images that were surely human, which was able to put me at ease for a moment. Then, one of them lifted up another blow dart and put something inside of it before aiming it right at me, causing me to widen my eyes.

“Nighty night,” was all they said before shooting the dart.

Almost immediately, I felt an overwhelmingly tired sensation spread through my body before my eyes shut, letting sleep overtake me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It seems like Abby’s got herself in yet another unwanted situation. What’s she gotten herself into now? You’ll just have to wait and find out. I contemplated putting Abby and Azula’s showdown at the end of the last chapter but I’m glad I didn’t, since that ended up being roughly around two thousand words on it’s own which would’ve just meant more reading. All I can say is that it certainly won’t be the last time that Abby and Azula’s paths cross. Also, the Shirshu-spit darts were used against Appa in the desert after the sandbenders took him so it seemed like the perfect thing to use against Abby. I think you’ll be surprised where she ends up.


	34. Back to Buisness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just thought I’d clear up some of the time skips and stuff in case anyone’s confused. In the show itself, Sozin’s Comet returned by the end of the summer so for the sake of this story, it’s returning right at the end of summer, like in the final days. That way it gives more time for the things that need to happen, happen. So, this chapter takes place about a week and a bit after the last one, before the Bitter Work episode.

_Previously on Blinding Horizon…_

_I felt an empty feeling, leaving the place that I’d called home for the past decade of my life. Daisuke had taken me under his wing when I was only six-years-old after my parents selfishly abandoned me. He’d taught me everything I knew about how to fight and for that, I was grateful. Even though it wasn’t home to the greatest memories, it had helped shaped me into the person I was today and that was one strong, fierce and determined person._

_*:_ _･_ _✧_ _*:_ _･ﾟ_ _✧_

_Zhao sent a powerful blast towards me, but I crossed my hands in front of me and took the blasts head on. I leapt into the air and sent my own blast of fire towards him with my feet. The two of us engaged in a one-on-one battle while Zuko kept the Avatar busy._

_“You should know better than to go against your superiors. Daisuke isn’t going to be happy when he hears this,” Zhao taunted._

_I growled at him. “I’m not going to listen to you and your barbaric orders if I don’t want to!”_

_*:_ _･_ _✧_ _*:_ _･ﾟ_ _✧_

_A loud bang suddenly went off and I realised that I must’ve let my hand slip, causing the crossbow to fire the spear towards the group of people down at the palace. I looked up, wanting to know if my shot had been successful at hitting anyone. I felt a strange feeling of relaxation when I realised that everyone was alright, but now there was chaos and herds of guards racing all over the place, trying to find the shooter._

_*:_ _･_ _✧_ _*:_ _･ﾟ_ _✧_

_Our battle raged on as we charged towards each other. Both of our attention was entirely focused on each other, as it should be in an Agni Kai. I had competed in numerous Agni Kai’s in the past. Heck, that’s where my highest accolade comes from but none of them compared to the raw hatred and intensity that fuelled this one. All of those other fights were just about being the best, I never really had a personal grudge against any of my opponents. This time was different and for obvious reasons. All I could say was that I finally had someone to give me a real challenge._

_*:_ _･_ _✧_ _*:_ _･ﾟ_ _✧_

_Out of the corner of my eye, I could make out several blurry images that were surely human, which was able to put me at ease for a moment. Then, one of them lifted up another blow dart and put something inside of it before aiming it right at me, causing me to widen my eyes._

_“Nighty night,” was all they said before shooting the dart._

_Almost immediately, I felt an overwhelmingly tired sensation spread through my body before my eyes shut, letting sleep overtake me._

_*:_ _･_ _✧_ _*:_ _･ﾟ_ _✧_

When I properly regained consciousness, the first thing that I realised was how out of it I felt. I wasn’t sure how long I had been knocked out for, since there were a few times when I just went in and out before being tranquilised again. At one point during one of the times when I woke up, I recognised that I was on a boat, but I wasn’t sure where. As I forced myself to sit up straight, my mind started to focus again and the ringing sensation that I felt throughout my body had subsided. The more clearer that my vision became, the more I started to recognise my surroundings.

First of all, I noticed that the room I was in was fairly dark, but there was lots of red around it, so I assumed that wherever I was it had something to do with the Fire Nation. But why get me the way they did, then? Secondly, the room felt vaguely familiar to me, like I had been here before. I did a quick scan to make sure that I hadn’t been unjustly thrown into some rusty old prison and I felt relieved when I realised that I wasn’t. Finally, I realised that the clothes I was wearing before I was tranquilised had been changed and I was now in a more comfortable and functionable outfit that was a lot like something I would where for training. That’s when it hit me.

I was in my room back in the Tatakai Stronghold.

My eyes widened in surprise as the realisation hit me and the more surroundings that I took in, the more I realised that it was in fact where I was as dozens of questions raced through my mind. Why was I back her? How did I get here? When did I even get here? Suddenly, I caught the sight of a figure sitting over my bed. I blinked several times, wondering if I was seeing things but there was in fact somebody else in my room. I glanced to my bedside where I always kept my sword, but it wasn’t there.

“Looking for this?” they asked, holding out my sword.

Immediately, I crawled over my bed and yanked it out of their hands before pointing it at them, “Who are you? What in the name of Agni are you doing in my room? Why am I here?”

The chuckled. “Now, now, Abby. Is that anyway to greet your old Sifu?”

“Kenji?” I asked, staring at the figure in confusion.

“Right you are. It’s good to see you again, Abby. Though, admittedly this isn’t the reaction that one would want from their star pupil,” Kenji said.

I relaxed, lowering my arms while putting my sword to the side and gave my old Sifu a sheepish look, “I didn’t realise that it was you.”

“It is quite alright, young one. You look very well rested, I must say,” Kenji pointed out.

I shrugged. “Well, I was just put in a Shirshu-spit dart induced coma.”

“Right you were. Although I must say, something about you seems different than the last time I saw you,” Kenji said.

“Cut the small talk, Kenji. Why am I here?” I asked.

“I suppose you have a right to know. You have been away for a while now, almost five months. We had been trying our best to track you during your travels, but lost sight of you after the Siege at the North Pole. General Daisuke has heard about your recent misadventures and I must say, he is not pleased,” Kenji explained.

My eyes widened in surprise. “General? When did that happen?”

“Only recently and he has taken his position very seriously. When he heard what had happened to you in the Earth Kingdom, he sent out his best men to find you and it was almost impossible, since we had lost track of you. It seems as though his men resorted to unorthodox methods though,” Kenji said.

I scoffed. “You got that right. If they had just confronted me in a civilised manner, I would’ve been more than happy to come back. I hated being in the Earth Kingdom, constantly surrounded by those uncultured swine.”

“General Daisuke wasn’t pleased when he heard about your assault on the late Admiral Zhao’s base in the Earth Kingdom, along with your accused betrayal at the Siege of the North Pole and your recent endeavours with Princess Azula,” Kenji continued.

“Well, I’ve never liked Sunshine and Zhao was always a self-absorbed narcissist,” I muttered.

“I was given the task of watching over you until you awakened, since you only arrived last night I have been watching you for the time being. I must say, you have awakened faster than what they thought you would, given the tranquiliser that was used. Daisuke also told me to tell you to make haste to his office as soon as you awaken, so I would suggest changing into the suit near your desk and making your way to his office where he will be expecting you,” Kenji said.

I nodded, accepting the information, “Very well. Thank you, Master Kenji.”

My old Sifu gave me a look that I could not quite register and bowed to me, ”It was lovely to see you again, Abby.”

“Likewise, Master Kenji,” I said as I bowed to my old master.

After that, Master Kenji left me to my own devices in my old room. Once he left, I couldn’t help but let out a huge sigh of pent-up relief. I was finally home, back at the Tatakai Stronghold where I belonged. This was where I was supposed to be, and I already felt a hundred times better than I had in recent weeks, relishing in the fact that I was finally home. I was relieved at the fact that I was no longer living in the Earth Kingdom and that I could go back to living the sheltered life that I knew.

My attention then turned to the outfit that was lying nearby me, covered by a protective bag. I unzipped the bag and I couldn’t help but gasp at what I saw. In front of me, was a Royal Fire Nation military uniform. I was shocked because I had only ever worn one once, when I teamed up with Sunshine to track down the Avatar, although this one was a lot more elaborate. The top was more high-waisted, and the shoulders seemed more flexible and the split skirt appeared to provide more room for movement. The red armour and gold trimmings truly brought out the colour in the outfit when compared to the black shirt with grey sleeves and dark black pants. I had never worn anything quite like this before.

When I put it on, I immediately allowed my body to get used to it’s comfortable fit by wriggling my body. I couldn’t help but feel powerful with the armour on, like I was indestructible, and the confidence surged through me. This was far better than anything that I had worn before. With my sword attached to my hip, I headed towards Daisuke’s office, ready to display myself like the true talent I was.

As I made my way to Daisuke’s office, I immediately familiarised myself with my surroundings. I recognised everything that was around me and I felt a fire go off inside of me that I hadn’t felt since before I left to go on my mission. It was good to be back, and I was glad to be back, rightfully so given everything that I had to go through. I couldn’t help the stumble that I did as I walked along the deep red carpet that I missed so much but I dismissed it as the nerves setting in, but I was quick to rid myself of those thoughts.

Once I reached the door that lead to Daisuke’s office, I took a deep breath and prepared myself for whatever was to come my way. Confidently, I pushed the curtains that covered the door and pulled the handle down, allowing myself to enter my mentor’s office. There he was, sitting at a large chair that must’ve been an upgrade since I hadn’t seen it before. The rest of his office also seemed to have improved since I had been there and rightfully so, since Daisuke’s greatness deserved to be rewarded, just like mine.

I bowed out of respect, given the fact that he was now a general, one of the highest ranked positions that you could get in the Fire Nation. I couldn’t help the sweat that poured down my face as I braced myself for my mentor’s reaction, since it had been several long months since he had last seen me and in that time, I had done some very contradictory things that wouldn’t fly by with him.

“It has been some time since I’ve seen you, my pupil. When I first sent you on that mission to capture the Avatar, that was all I had intended for you to do. Just by looking at you from here, I can see that you’ve had time to grow as an individual. I can also see that you’ve had time to reflect as have I and in that time, I’ve realised something as well. _This_ is were you belong. _This_ is where you are welcome and shall stay for however long,” Daisuke said.

I inwardly sighed of relief, thankful that he too realised that this was where I was supposed to be, not chasing an old relic across the world in an endless quest. It was nice to see that we were finally on the same page, but I knew that there was more coming.

“In the time that we’ve been apart, there have been many changes around here, starting with me as I have now been promoted to the title of General, giving me more authority that I would have as a mere Colonel. With that title comes many resources and with those resources, I have been able to keep track of you as much as I could during your travels and based on what I have heard, I am severely disappointed,” he continued.

Still kneeling respectfully, I was already thinking of how to deal with the accusations that were about to come my way. Although they were perfectly justifiable in my eyes, I knew that Daisuke would not think the same way and that I would have to find some way to excuse my supposed treachery, even if it meant lying to my mentor.

“However, since you have been with me for a decade now, longer than anyone that has served under my command, I will give you the chance to clear your name and I will decide if whether or not your actions were reasonable. So, rise and speak,” Daisuke instructed.

With confidence, I stood up, facing my mentor directly in the eyes as he looked into mine with his ember ones. I knew that I had to be smart about how I played this and that if I said the wrong thing, I could end up regretting it.

“First of all, I would like to congratulate you on your promotion to General, sir. You have worked tirelessly in the Fire Nation army for decades and rightfully deserve this accolade. Secondly, if you don’t mind me asking, I would like to ask what it is that you want to know so I can clear these misunderstandings?” I began.

“Very well. Your first misadventure that came to my attention was your confrontation with the late Admiral Zhao on the factory in the Earth Kingdom. My reports say that you aided in the destruction while fighting against the Admiral. Explain why that was justifiable,” Daisuke ordered.

“Well, given the fact that you had tasked me with capturing the Avatar, that’s exactly what I was trying to do. I managed to follow them to the factory before I became aware that they intended to destroy the place. I tried my best to hold them off, regretfully damaging multiple devices in the process but it had to be done to apprehend the Avatar. As for my confrontation with Admiral Zhao, the late Admiral had deliberately disrespected your good name. He said that if anyone deserved your position, it was him and not you. I was merely defending your honour and Prince Zuko only showed up because he too was trying to capture the Avatar as part of his banishment and he also had a long-standing feud with Admiral Zhao,” I explained.

That was an out-right lie on my behalf for the most part. I had gone to Zhao’s factory with every intention of destroying that thing. Crossing paths with the Avatar was just an added bonus. Besides, I was aware that Zhao and Daisuke hadn’t always been on the best of terms, so I decided to use that to my advantage. Nobody ever really saw me destroy the factory, so it’s not like any of the claims would be reliable anyways. I looked at Daisuke directly in the eyes to read his reaction and he actually seemed to be buying what I was selling.

“That sort of behaviour from Zhao would not surprise me since I was well aware that the man disrespected me, likewise with me for him. Thank you for defending my honour and proving your loyalty, Abby, the Dragoness,” Daisuke said.

“You are very welcome, General. I would fight to the death for you,” I declared.

“However, that does not mean that you are out of the woods just yet. After what I had heard from the factory, it was my decision to send you to the North Pole and assassinate Chief Arnook to prove your loyalty and redeem yourself, only to fail at that task and be accused of treachery. Why was that so?” Daisuke asked.

“Upon arriving at the Northern Water Tribe, I was successfully able to immigrate myself into their society, which was unlike anything that I had ever seen before. The first opportunity that I received, I put my plan into action to assassinate Chief Arnook, however it was not him who took the hit. It was his daughter, Princess Yue who we all believed had perished after her birth but had remained in hiding at the Northern Water Tribe. Essentially, I did fail my mission but at the same time, I succeeded in ridding them of any possible heirs remaining. Before I could make any further attempts, the Siege had begun, and the city was on high alert, just like we would be during a siege. The Water Tribe warriors had managed to discover my identity before they started attacking me, leaving me to defend myself in the heart of the battle as Fire Nation soldiers intervened, getting caught in between my attacks. So, although I did somewhat aid in our defeat, it was merely for my own self-preservation and I confidently believe that anybody else in that situation would’ve reacted the same way,” I lied callously.

Again, another lie but it was all for my own benefit. This would be one of the many times when my skill of deception came in handy. I’d always found it easy to fool people, but Daisuke was always hard to do since he too was a calculating strategist skilled with deception, but I had my ways past him as well.

Daisuke seemed to think for a moment before he responded, “After listening to your arguments, there appears to be no missing evidence or parts that do not match up. I can understand that you were merely doing your job, what I had asked you to do and doing so by any means necessary. I can also understand that your moves were cold and calculated, just like I would expect from you, Abby. Although, there is one more event that needs to be discussed.”

“And what would that be?” I asked, although I already had a feeling that I knew what it was.

“Your recent confrontations with Fire Lord Ozai’s daughter, Princess Azula. Those are the only alarming events that are yet to be solved. So, tell me, what is it that made you engage in battle with Princess Azula?” Daisuke asked.

I took a deep breath before explaining, “As you may or may not be aware of, Princess Azula and I have never gotten along. We have always been adversaries, always after the same thing. She came to me herself, ordering me to either help her in her own quest for the Avatar with the offer of returning to the Tatakai Stronghold. I doubted her story, since if that was the case you would’ve come for me on your own accord. I would later find out her true intentions, to frame me for treachery which I have proven that I did not commit. The reasons for our battle was for me to defend myself, defend my honour as anyone should do when they are called into question. Using what you had taught me, I was able to overwhelm her, defeating her in the process and living up to my name. Our second battle took place because she had once again disrespected me and you at the same time. So, for that reason, I engaged in battle with Azula to defend myself, to defend you because everything that I have done and everything that I have worked for has been for you.”

Daisuke just sat there as he listened to what I had to say. As I finished explaining, he appeared to be in deep thought, almost as if he was trying to decipher if whether or not I was telling the truth.

Finally, after what felt like an everlasting silence, he spoke, “After listening to your reasons and taking them into consideration, I have decided that with no foreseeable doubts, you have been in fact honest with me. You have never given me any reason whatsoever to doubt your allegiance and I regretfully apologise for calling your honour into question. I will speak with Fire Lord Ozai to clear your name, as I see no reason for you to be under threat. I hope that you can accept my apology for accusing you of treachery that I now understand you would never commit.”

“It is quite alright, Master. If I was you, I would’ve questioned me too, but I am relieved to have this mess cleared up and I appreciate you bringing me back here, where I belong. In the time that I spent travelling I experienced things that I normally wouldn’t experience, and I have come to the realisation that this is where I want and need to be,” I admitted.

“That is good to hear, Abby. While you are here, I must congratulate you and thank you for your contribution to the Fire Nation’s technological advancements,” Daisuke said.

“What do you mean?” I asked, momentarily confused.

“It has been almost three years since you presented me with the idea of the airship, which has now been named the War Zeppelin. Despite many of our attempts, we had failed to get the contraption to work but after the failure of the Battle for the Northern Air Temple, War Minister Qin and his scientists successfully managed to reverse their technology to help with their production and are now in the final stages of completion, all thanks to your brilliance,” Daisuke explained.

“Thank you, Master but it was your push and strive for excellence that motivated me to think of the idea. I look forward to seeing its success,” I said.

“It will only be a matter of time before that day will come as they are reaching the finishing touches and when it does, _you_ will be by my side as it happens. It is what you deserve, after all it was your idea and I will keep you informed on the process,” Daisuke said.

“I would expect nothing less, General Daisuke,” I said.

“Thank you for stopping by my office. You are excused,” Daisuke said, waving me off.

“It was a pleasure to see you again, Master,” I said before bowing once again and turning to leave.

Just as I was about to walk through the door, Daisuke’s voice stopped me, “Of course, now we have to resume your training.”

I could feel my jaw twitching as he said that before I turned to face my master, “But, I thought I’d already mastered everything? You said it yourself, I was a master now. I have been since I was _thirteen_.”

“Yes, you have mastered all of the basic, intermediate and advanced forms unlike anyone else that I have ever trained, and you are one of the youngest firebending masters in recent years. However, there is one technique that you are yet to master, and you must do so to be a fully-realised firebending master,” Daisuke explained.

I sighed, wondering what on earth I could possibly have yet to do, “Fine. When will my training recommence?”

“At sundown. I want you behind Caldera City at sundown precisely. I have something very important for you to learn,” Daisuke said ominously.

I nodded before bowing respectfully, “I will be there, Master. Until then I bid you farewell.”

“Likewise, Abby,” he said as he disappeared through the door.

Once I exited his office, I finally allowed myself to let out the deep breath that I had been holding in and that sigh of relief. I had managed to get myself off the hook with Daisuke, my years of experience with lying coming in handy. That would have to be one of the select few times that I had successfully managed to lie to my Master. The first few times I had tried were unsuccessful, but eventually I picked up on the skill of lying to the point where even I don’t know the difference between the truth and the lies at times.

As I walked down the long corridor towards my room, I couldn’t help but wonder what else Daisuke could possibly teach me. He had said it himself that I was a firebending master and he was there when I was officially declared on. That would have to be the proudest moment of my life so far. At that point in time, I was the youngest person to officially be declared a firebending master in Fire Nation history, just a week after my thirteenth birthday. That was certainly one for the history books that my name would forever be a part of.

 “Abby, is that you?” Somebody asked.

I turned around to see Seung, one of my former training partners with a bemused look on his face. Seung was a year older than me at sixteen and he was declared a firebending master shortly before I left to go on my mission to capture the Avatar.

“Hello, Seung,” I greeted him.

“I heard that you had returned. It is good to see you again,” Seung said as he approached me.

“Likewise,” I said politely.

“Are you back permanently now?” he asked.

I nodded, “General Daisuke and I have realised that this is where I’m supposed to be, not following some century year old quest. Now I can put my focus back onto what really matters to me.”

“Very well, it’s good to have you back. I must say, things haven’t quite been the same since you left,” Seung said.

“I can imagine that. So, how much has changed since I was last here?” I asked.

“Well, General Daisuke’s office has been revamped following his promotion to General which was almost a month ago. He’s taken his position very seriously so far and is more strict than ever. One wrong move and he’ll kick you out. He already did that to Guo after he misplaced his sacred files,” Seung explained.

I scoffed. “Guo was always an imbecile, so he had it coming.”

“Kenji is now the prominent figure in our training, although Daisuke sometimes makes an appearance. Enough about here, what’s changed for you?” Seung asked.

“Like I said, I’ve realised that this is where I’m supposed to be, and I know what I want and what I need to be doing with my life. _This_ was what I was born to do,” I declared confidently.

Seung only stared at me for a moment before speaking, “Are you okay? You seem _different?_ ”

“Different how?” I asked in return.

Seung shrugged, “Something just looks off about you. I can tell that you’re not the same girl who left here all of those months ago.”

I scoffed, “Of course I’m not. It would be moronic to think that I would remain the same after everything that I had to go through. Do you know what it’s like, being a firebender constantly surrounded by those dirt peasants? I had to hide who I truly was and that was the toughest part of all. You wouldn’t believe how many times I just wanted to admit to who I was, but I wasn’t stupid enough to do that.”

“I guess you’re right,” Seung admitted.

“Now, if you don’t have anything intelligent to say, I will be returning to my room. Good day,” I said before turning around and leaving Seung standing there without a word to say.

It wasn’t long before I reached my room and once I did, I flopped down onto my bed, exhausted for whatever reason since all I did was go to Daisuke’s office. I sat up straight and removed my signature dragon headpiece that was in my hair and glanced down at it in my hand. It had been too long since I last wore it and it just didn’t feel _right_ to me. I sighed as I put it on my bedside table before examining myself in my armour. Even though it made me feel more powerful than I’d ever felt, there was just something about it that I couldn’t put my finger on.

I would worry about that later since I had a training session to prepare for.

~*•°•*~

Within a few hours, sundown was just around the corner and I was escorted to the back of the volcano that surrounded the Fire Nation Capital. I wasn’t sure why Daisuke had asked me to meet him _here_ of all places, but it seemed like it was something important and necessary for my development. Once I had reached a certain point, the guards escorting me left me to myself upon instructing me on where to go. After I continued walking to my destination, I saw Daisuke waiting for me. I looked up to the sky and nodded to myself upon realising that I was at the right place at the right time, with the sun just barely beginning to set.

“Abby, you’re here. Early, in fact. It is good to see that your time management has not dwindled,” Daisuke greeted me upon spotting me.

“Well, you always said that early is on time, on time is late and late is just unacceptable,” I recited the rule that he always told me.

Daisuke gave me one of his rare smiles that he hardly ever showed, “It’s good to see that you remember that. Now, I am sure that you are wondering what you could possibly be doing here.”

“You would be correct, sir,” I said.

“As I said earlier, you are in fact a firebending master, being one of the youngest in recent years. There is very little room for improvement in your forms. However, there is one technique that you are yet to perform that will truly support your mastery,” Daisuke explained.

“May I ask what that technique is?” I asked as I waited with anticipation for what would be said next.

Daisuke looked at me straight in the eyes before answering, “Lightning generation.”

My eyes widened, and I couldn’t help but gasp. Lightning generation was the most advanced form of firebending that there was and only four people were known to be capable of it. Those four people being General Daisuke, General Iroh, Fire Lord Ozai and of course, _Sunshine_. Only a true firebending master was capable of doing it. I had tried mastering lightning generation before, since I had been ready since I was thirteen-years-old, but I had never successfully managed to master it. Until now, that was since I would stop at nothing to be the best at what I do.

“I’m finally ready for it?” was all I could ask.

Daisuke nodded, “You have been through much during your time away from what I can understand, and you have returned as a different person. Perhaps that journey was what you needed to take to overcome that roadblock.”

“Is that why we’re outside the volcano, so that I don’t electrocute anything?” I asked.

“Yes, that is why I have brought you out here. Before we begin, I must refresh you on what there is to know. But before we do that, I want you to tell me what you remember of lightning,” Daisuke explained.

I took a quick break before speaking confidently, “Lightning – also known as the cold-blooded fire – originated as the electrostatic discharge that occurs during a thunderstorm. In recent years, firebenders have been able to display that power throughout their firebending in the form of lightning generation, with Fire Lord Ozai being the first to do so. It is achieved by separating the positive and negative energies internally, before directing it up through the arm and out the fingertips. It is the most advanced form of firebending there is, making it more challenging for benders to perform.”

“You would be correct. Lightning generation is the most complex form of firebending there is. It can be achieved through peace of mind or preferably, absence of emotion. Lightning is created through combining the positive and negative energies around us and once they collide again, lightning is created. One important thing to remember is that once the energies leave your body, you are merely guiding it rather than controlling it so although it is not necessary in most firebending, control is required for mastery of this skill,” Daisuke explained.

“I can confidently say that I understand the basic principles of lightning generation. Would it be appropriate for me to try it?” I asked.

“Allow me to show you first. I would recommend that you take a few steps back,” Daisuke instructed me.

I was already ahead of him, taking several steps backwards to give Daisuke the required room to perform the technique. The only time that I had ever seen lightning generation was during my recent confrontations with Sunshine, so it would be interesting to see the technique when it was not being aimed towards me.

I watched in complete fixation as Daisuke went through his movements, moving his arms in circular motions. At first, nothing happened but then I could see the lightning beginning to form as he unleashed the positive and negative energies surrounding him. In seconds he guided the lightning through his arms, before unleashing it from his fingertips as he thrusted his left arm forward, firing the lightning bolt into the sky, creating a cracking sound as it did so.

Daisuke turned to face me, gesturing me to step into his place, “Now, you may try it.”

With confidence, I stepped forward until I was standing in the exact spot that Daisuke was standing in seconds ago. I took a glance at my master, who merely returned my look while nodding at me, giving me the signal to begin. I stood perfectly straight, holding my fingers in my hand before taking a deep breath and following Daisuke’s exact movements. I moved my hands in the same circular motion, trying to separate the positive and negative energies and bring them together. I was hardly paying attention to my surroundings, just what I was doing. When I thrusted my arm forward to unleash the bolt of lightning, I was completely surprised by what I had produced.

What came out in front of me was not a bolt of lightning like I had expected, but a fiery explosion that’s impact sent my flying backwards.

That was _not_ what I had intended to do. That was _not_ what I was even supposed to do. I wanted lightning, I expected lightning. All I got was an explosion in my face. Angrily, I stepped up, refusing to look at Daisuke as I walked back into my previous position before erratically moving my arms around, hoping to generate lightning this time.

Once again, I failed as another explosion went off in front of me. I tried it several more times, only for it to explode in my face every time I did so. On my seventh try, I did it the exact way I had seen Sunshine do it once, hoping for a better result but only getting the same result. I growled in anger, unleashing a powerful scream of firebending out of frustration.

“That is not what I am trying to do!” I yelled as I crouched down, burying my face in my legs out of embarrassment.

I heard footsteps from behind me and turned to look at Daisuke who was standing behind me. What I saw on his face was something that I hadn’t seen in years, something that I never wanted to see again.

Disappointment.

Daisuke shook his head as he gave me a stern look, “Perhaps I was wrong. Maybe you are not ready to learn this technique. Maybe you’re not _really_ a master after all.”

And with that, my master turned around and left me to deal with my failure. My shoulders shook uncontrollably as my face twisted into a glare and my eyes narrowed. Daisuke had called me a disappointment. He said that I wasn’t ready and that I didn’t deserve my title. Just that alone was enough to send me into overdrive.

He might as well have just shot me with his own lightning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, you read right. Abby has returned to the Tatakai Stronghold but there have clearly been some changes since she was last there. Not just with the place as well. In regard to what I said about Ozai being the first to perform lightning generation, it’s never been said who was the first to do it, but I assumed that Ozai’s desire to better Iroh would fuel it. Also, Iroh said that lightning could only be done when the bender was in a peaceful state of mind, which Azula was clearly not on the day of Sozin’s Comet. I read on Wikia that it can also be done with absence of emotion, which fits Azula and Ozai as people pretty well, so I threw that in there. What do you guys think of the turn in the story now? And is Abby beginning to have those dreaded thoughts of doubt once again? What will that mean for her? You’ll just have to read and review if you want to find out ;). 
> 
> As for the names, Kenji is a Japanese name with ken meaning study/sharpen and ji meaning two, Seung is a Korean name meaning rise/ascent, Guo is a Chinese name meaning country.


	35. Hiding from the Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is I, the almighty powerful author bringing you another chapter of Blinding Horizon. This chapter takes place a few days after the last one and in the Gaang’s timeline, this would be during Bitter Work. A lot’s gonna go down in just a short amount of time, but it needs to happen for the purpose of the story.

Three days had passed since my full return to the Tatakai Stronghold as well as my failed training session with Daisuke. Since then, Daisuke had not spoken to me and given the fact that the last words he spoke to me was that I was a disappointment, I didn’t think that he was thinking of me in high regards. In all honesty, I had no idea what went wrong. I did the movements the exact same way that Daisuke did them and I was completely focused on what I was doing. So why is it that when I tried to generate lightning that at all it did was blow up in my face?

Truth be told, I had no idea. I genuinely didn’t understand what I had done wrong and since then, I had been trying to figure out what I wasn’t doing right. Every chance that I could get, I would practice lightning generation and every time I did it, it blew up in my face. Literally. The worst part was that I could feel the positive and the negative energies moving around me, but nothing was coming out. No matter what I tried, I just couldn’t get it right.

To say I was frustrated would be the understatement of the century. I was beyond furious with myself. This was new to me since this was really the first time in my life that had ever outright failed at what I tried to achieve. All my life I went by the saying that failure is _not_ an option so why is it that I fail now? That was all I could think about as I angrily paced around my own personal training room while kicking and punching bursts of flame in anger at myself.

“Why can’t I do it? Why do I have to start failing _now_ of all times?” I muttered angrily to myself as I kicked out a blast of fire out of frustration.

**Because you are a failure.**

_Not you again._

**Yes, me again. So, here we are. Back in our humble domain.**

_This is my domain, not yours. Can’t you see I’m venting?_

**Venting at your failure, yes. It looks like I chose the perfect time to stop by.**

_I am not venting at my failure because that is not what I am._

**But you failed at generating lightning? Doesn’t that make a failure by definition since you failed to do it?**

_I’m just not ready to master lightning yet. I need to keep pushing myself until my bending is perfect before I can even try lightning generation again._

**Sure, keep throwing around excuses.**

_What excuses?_

**Daisuke said it himself, there is hardly any room left for improvement in your training. The only reason you don’t want to try again is because you know that you will fail. I guess that you’ve grown accustomed to that lately.**

_What are you talking about?_

**Let’s see, you failed at getting the Avatar not once, but six times? Pretty humiliating if you ask me. And then your little confrontations with Azula were hardly victories. The first time, she blew you off that edge and the second time, it was her lightning strike that made you run away. And let’s not forget about your failed attempt at lightning generation.**

_Those were all mishaps, not failures. I would’ve succeeded to if certain people hadn’t intervened._

**And what is the opposite of failure? Success, which you did not have. Just admit that you’re a failure and you’ll feel so much better.**

“I am _not_ a failure. I’m not! I’m not! I’m not! I’m not! I’m not!” I repeated to myself.

**Prove it then. If you’re not a failure, you won’t be scared to do lightning generation even though there’s a chance that you might not succeed.**

_I’m inside! I can’t do lightning generation inside!_

**Excuses, excuses, excuses. I’m sure that Daisuke never would’ve taken you under his wing if he knew that you would be this much of a failure.**

“Ugh, fine! If it’ll get you to _shut up!_ ” I hissed.

Taking a deep breath, I moved my arms around in circular motion, once again trying to separate the positive and negative energies surrounding me before trying to bring them together for the final blow. When I finished moving, I thrust my right arm forward, hoping to see a bolt of lightning shooting from my fingertips. It was sad that I wasn’t surprised when all I got was an explosion on my face, causing the windows to shatter.

**See, failure!**

“SHUT UP!” I screeched before unleashing a powerful blast of firebending into the air, my frustration at myself reaching its peak.

Upon seeing the damage that I had caused, I groaned knowing that I would have to find some explanation for this and that once again, Daisuke wouldn’t be pleased with me. As I went to go clean up the glass that had shattered, I ended up slipping on one of the tiny shards without realising it until I fell hands-first onto the ground. I winced in pain as I lifted up my hands, which now had multiple tiny shards of glass stuck in them.

**I thought Daisuke taught you how to properly carry yourself? I hope you realise just how ridiculous you look right now.**

My breathing started to labour as I crawled over before muttering to myself, “W-why won’t y-you just l-leave me al-alone?”

Suddenly, I heard footsteps from behind me before feeling the presence of someone else in the room, “Abby?”

I turned around to see Kenji standing there, looking shocked at the sight in front of him. If I was him, I would be shocked to since I normally carry myself with much more dignity and now I looked like a mess.

**Because you are a mess. A hot one at that. Did you get that pun?**

I let out a long groan, hunching over and nodding slowly while wrapping my arms around myself as I did so. For a moment, I forgot that Kenji wasn’t there until I saw him leaning down in front of me.

“What happened?” Kenji asked.

“I was angry and I firebended into the wall. Now there’s glass everywhere and I look like such a fool,” I replied, scowling to myself.

“You’re not a fool. Let me see your hands,” Kenji said.

Slowly, I unwrapped myself before presenting my hands that had multiple shards of glass stuck on my palms with small droplets of blood gushing out.

“Oh, my Agni. We better get you to Liling before those get worse,” Kenji said as he tried to pull me up.

“But, the glass? And the room?” I asked, my hands shaking, “Daisuke will be mad. He won’t like this.”

“Don’t over-exacerbate yourself. I will handle this matter with Daisuke. But for now, let’s go see Liling so she can help you,” Kenji said as he guided me away from the room.

In that moment, I just felt like such a moronic mess. I was acting like a pathetic child. This was disgraceful. But for whatever reason, I couldn’t get myself to calm down. So, I just let Kenji take me to Nurse Liling, so she could heal my wounds.

~*•°•*~

When we arrived at Nurse Liling’s wing, I trailed behind Kenji, not wanting to look even more like a fool than I already did while I tried to regain my composure. As I walked into the infirmary, I saw Kenji talking to Nurse Liling, who immediately caught sight of my presence before rushing over to me.

“My, Agni, Abby! Look at those hands!” she exclaimed.

Liling was one of the few respected nurses registered at the Tatakai Stronghold. She was a firebender herself and was even capable of using her firebending to sense chi paths an interpret spiritual energy which I always thought was fascinating, how something that could be so destructive could be used in the opposite.

“I made a stupid mistake, one that I shouldn’t have done and that I won’t be doing again,” I said as Liling looked over my palms.

“Master Kenji, would you mind fetching my tweezers to pry these shards of glass from her palms?” Liling asked.

“Of course, Nurse Liling,” Kenji said before excusing himself.

Within a moment, Kenji returned with a pair of tweezers before handing them to Liling, who quickly took one of my hands and started picking out the glass that was stuck in there once I had taken off my cufflinks that bound my shirt cuffs together and putting them aside. I couldn’t help but wince in pain as she pulled out the pieces of glass. Normally, I had a very high pain tolerance but for whatever reason, every time Liling stuck those tweezers in she received a reaction from me.

“Just control yourself, darling. I know it hurts,” Liling said as she pulled the last piece of glass out from my left hand. For a moment, I was relieved but then I realised that there was still my right hand to go and groaned.

“Are you feeling alright, Abby?” Kenji asked from the side.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“You seemed rather distressed when I entered the room. Is something wrong?” he asked.

I stiffened, remembering my near-breakdown moments before Kenji walked him. Telling them that I was having an argument with my conscience didn’t seem like a smart idea, so I did what I did best; I lied.

“I thought I heard an intruder. That’s why I sent an attack at the wall, I thought somebody unauthorised had entered. Now I realise that I was probably just hearing things,” I dismissed.

Kenji didn’t look convinced, “Are you sure?”

My head subconsciously turned towards him and my gaze turned into a glare, “Yes, I’m sure. Have I ever given you a reason to doubt my word?”

“I guess you’re right,” Kenji admitted, although there was something about his voice that made me doubt he was being honest to me.

Ignoring Kenji, I looked down at my hands as Liling pulled out the last piece of glass that was stuck in my hand. I let out a sigh of relief, feeling much better now that I didn’t have that irritating glass in my way. Liling then grabbed a nearby bandage before wrapping it securely around my wrists. Once she was done, I looked down at myself and couldn’t help but feel ridiculous, with two bandages wrapped around _both_ of my wrists. Who’s foolish enough to get themselves into a situation like this? Answer: me, regretfully.

“There, that should do the trick,” Liling said as she finished wrapping the bandages around my wrists, “Try not to do anything like that again.”

“Don’t worry, I _won’t_ be making that mistake again,” I said, glancing down at the ground with a hidden scowl on my face.

“Well, if there is nothing more that needs to be done, Abby you are excused,” Liling said.

“Thank you, Nurse Liling, Master Kenji,” I said before bidding them farewell.

As I left Nurse Liling’s wing, I scolded myself for allowing something as foolish as that to happen, before remembering that I had left my cufflinks in there. I stumbled back to Nurse Liling’s office and was about to barge in, so I could take my cufflinks, when I heard part of a very intriguing conversation.

“I’m worried about her, Lils,” Kenji whispered, but loud enough for me to here.

“Who, Abby?” Liling asked, causing me to raise my eyebrows. Why would Kenji be worried about me? What have I done to give him a reason to doubt my stability, other than my little _moment_ back there?

“Ever since she has returned, something about her has just seemed _different._ I can’t quite explain it, but she just seems _off_. I think that time away did her more harm than good,” Kenji said.

“Ken, I’m sure that you’re just being a worry wart. I’ve known Abby just as long as you have, and I see no reason for her to be a concern,” Liling dismissed.

I nodded along with her as she spoke before Kenji continued, “You didn’t see what I saw when I walked in. She was hunched over, with her arms wrapped around her body almost as if she was soothing herself. It was almost like she had lost sight of what was going on around her. And what caught my attention the most, her eyes were twitching in an unhealthy way.”

“Well, she seemed perfectly fine just then. And you and I both know that Abby is one tough nut to crack. It would take an awful lot to get her to snap,” Liling said.

“But I’m concerned about her, Lil. Isn’t my word enough?” Kenji asked.

“Look, if I notice anything different about her, I’ll come talk to you. But for now, let her handle herself. Abby is a self-sufficient person who doesn’t need anyone to help her,” Liling said.

For a few moments, there was nothing but the sound of shuffling around and after I waited for a short while, I burst through the door, catching them both off guard. Liling appeared to have a surprised look on her face while Kenji had a look of fear on his. That’s good, he should be afraid since I heard what he said.

“Abby, what are you doing back so soon?” Liling asked calmly.

“I forgot my cufflinks,” I replied robotically as I picked up what I had came for before putting them back in their rightful place. I couldn’t help but feel Kenji and Liling eyeing me from behind as I did so, causing me to scowl to myself. Can’t they just stay out of my business?

Once I was done, I simply gave them a hard look as I left the room, narrowing my eyes at them as I did so. I didn’t even bother to stay behind and listen to anymore of their pathetic conversation. The look that I gave them was enough to let them know that I had overheard it. Now all I could do was wonder how they would react. I hoped that Kenji would follow Liling’s advice, since I was nothing _but_ fine and there was nothing to be worried for.

~*•°•*~

Hours later, I found myself locked in my room, not wanting to be around anyone else or worry about anything unnecessary. Since my mind had been _preoccupied_ lately, I decided to spend some time meditating to hopefully put myself at ease. I figured that maybe that was what preventing me from achieving lightning generation, my inability to be at ease with myself. I sat on the floor in the mediative stance with my fists pressed together and several candles in front of me. I breathed in and out, with my eyes closed. For the most part, I was relaxed although there was nothing but fuzzy noises going off inside my head that irritated the Koh out of me. Why couldn’t they just take a hint and leave me alone?

 **“They will only leave you alone once you settle the battle within yourself,”** an eerie voice said.

My jaw twitched, and I opened my eyes in anger, glaring at the mirror as I did so. While I was expecting to see another one of my bizarre hallucinations, I was still surprised by what I saw. Facing me in the mirror, was a tall, golden bird endowed with a nimbus and a crest of feathers on its head. The bird looked similar to half of an ostrich-horse and half of a pig-rooster. As I examined the creature closely, I blinked several times as I rubbed my eyes, wanting to be sure if this was really happening. But the creature was still there, staring at me with its sapphire eyes. It wasn’t long before I registered the bird as a phoenix, the bird that rises from the ashes before being reborn.

 **“You would be correct, child,”** they said.

“Wh-who are you? What a-are you?” I asked, in shock as I backed away in a defensive position.

 **“There is no to get defensive, young one. I cannot do anything to harm you as I am merely a spiritual form and have no reason to harm you. I only want to help you,”** the phoenix spoke in a feminine voice, **“My name is Saori.”**

“Well, thanks for stopping by, _Saori_ but I don’t need your help. I’m just fine,” I hissed.

 **“You keep telling yourself that, but do you really believe it? You might think that you are fine, but on the outside, that would appear far from the truth,”** Saori said.

“Don’t act like you know me when this is the first time you’ve ever shown your face to me! Like you said, you’re just a spirit! You don’t know _anything!_ ” I sneered, looking away from the mirror while glaring at the floor.

 **“I have always been with you, child. You might not realise it, but I have always been watching you, trying to help you,”** Saori said soothingly.

“Help me? What help could I possibly need?” I asked.

Suddenly, the golden phoenix came out from the mirror, now hovering just a few meters away from me as I backed away to my bed, gripping it tightly, **“I can see so much turmoil in your eyes. So much that has been buried for years and now that it is coming to light, you do not know how to handle it as you have always kept it buried. You need to understand that you will only be at peace with yourself once you have settled the conflict inside of you.”**

“What conflict?” I roared.

 **“A conflict so deep and buried that it has laid dormant for years and has only recently risen to the surface. You are at your wits end, child. You might not see it, but others do. Like Kenji and Liling,”** Saori replied.

“They’re just insolent morons. There is _nothing_ wrong with me. I am _fine_ , just like I’ve always been,” I muttered.

Saori shook her head, **“You are not fine, Abby. It is only a matter of time before you realise that yourself. I have tried my best to guide you as best as I can, although I will admit to my failure thus far.”**

I raised my eyebrows, “What do you mean?”

 **“This isn’t the first time that we have met, Abby,”** Saori replied.

“What do you mean? I don’t ever recall meeting you,” I said, confused.

 **“That is true, this is the first time that you have seen me in my true form, but there have been numerous times in the past where I have descended upon you,”** Saori admitted, lowering her head.

I simply stared at her in confusion, until the realisation dawned on me, “It was _you. You_ were those visions inside my head that were driving me insane! I _knew_ that it wasn’t real. I _knew_ that I wasn’t going insane!”

Saori shook her head, **“It is quite the contrary, child. While I will fully admit to descending upon you in the form of vivid hallucinations, those hallucinations were all apart of your mind. Unlike myself who is merely a spiritual form.”**

I quirked my eyebrow, “So what’s wrong with me then?”

 **“There is such an extreme conflict going on inside of you that it is slowly corrupting your soul. It is only a matter of time before you cannot handle it and destroy yourself,”** Saori explained.

“Then what can I do to stop it?” I asked.

 **“You need to look deep inside of yourself, unleash your insecurities and vulnerabilities. Accept your flaws rather than focus on your strengths. Open your mind to the possibilities and follow the light that you know you possess,”** Saori answered.

“What _light_? There is no light inside of me, only a twisted mind that cannot be saved and a soul that is incapable of redemption,” I hissed.

Saori lifted up one of her wings and I couldn’t help but flinch as she placed it against my right shoulder, **“What you need to understand is that nobody is beyond redemption. Anybody can be saved. There has been proof right before your eyes. Osamu, the deserter was able to find his own path despite committing unforgiveable acts. General Iroh, the Dragon of the West was able to save himself from following the path of his brother. You too, could find your own path if you just follow it. Even the one with the royal fire can be saved. You just have to look deep inside of yourself and embrace who you were truly meant to be.”**

I stepped away from Saori, walking right passed her as I rested against my desk, “I already have embraced who I was meant to be because _this_ is what I’m supposed to be. _This_ is the path that I was supposed to follow. Not whatever you think I should do.”

 **“This false pretence of what you put up is only a façade and deep down, you know that. There is more to human relationships than fear, which is what all you know,”** Saori said.

“You don’t know _anything!_ But you are right about fear, though. Fear is the most powerful emotion there is. Fear is what keeps people loyal,” I hissed.

 **“Like it’s done for you? Face it, young one, you have been controlled by fear and have used it to control others. Don’t let the fear of the truth control you anymore. Let go of that fear and be who you truly are, who you are supposed to be. And that is not who you are now,”** Saori reasoned.

“Just stop it! Go away, now! I don’t want to listen to you anymore!” I ordered.

 **“Do not ignore me, Abby. Trust me when I say that only once you learn to accept yourself and let down your walls, will you be free,”** Saori said.

“What if I don’t _want_ to be free? W-what if nobody will _accept_ me when I’m free? What if n-nobody will _love_ me when I’m free? If they won’t love me now like everybody says they don’t, what then?” I asked, with my back turned to Saori.

 **“You should not allow others approval to judge your own self-worth. But I love you, Abby. I do,”** Saori said.

Once again, I felt my jaw twitch as I let Saori’s words sink in. My hands tightly gripped the desk I was leaning on, with my nails digging into the wood, causing scratches to form as my face scrunched up in anger.

Before I could react any further, there was a knock on my door.

My head snapped up as I glanced back at where Saori was, only to see that she wasn’t there anymore. All that was left of her were golden pieces of dust, floating to the ground proving that maybe Saori really was real, not just a fragment of my imagination. Nevertheless, I forced myself to regain my composure as whoever was behind my door knocked once again. Bracing myself for whatever was there, I swung the door open, only to see Seung standing there.

“What do _you_ want?” I hissed, spitting out that last word.

Seung stumbled a bit as he lifted up a box that was on the floor next to him, “Daisuke told me to bring you this, to wear for tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? What’s tomorrow?” I asked.

Seung gave me a confused look as he answered, “The launching of the War Zeppelin. Anyone who’s anyone is going to be there, especially you since it _was_ your idea after all.”

“T-that’s tomorrow?” I asked, surprised.

“You mean Daisuke didn’t tell you?” Seung asked cautiously.

I glared down at the floor as I muttered, “No. I guess I wasn’t important enough to _know._ ”

“W-well, here is your uniform for you to wear, along with an improved version of your dragon headpiece. In case you are unaware, the service will be beginning at sundown at the Royal Palace. You will be escorted there, anyways but I just thought you should know -“ Seung rambled before I cut him off by snatching the box from his hands and storming back into my room, slamming the door shut behind me as I did so.

Once I was sure that he had left, I let out a sigh of frustration as I slammed the box onto the ground, not even caring about the important pieces of clothing that were inside. I sat down on my bed, burying my face into my hands as I muttered my frustration.

How come I was not aware that this was taking place, _tomorrow_? Why was I not told sooner? Why was I only informed by someone like _Seung,_ rather than an official messenger? Was I not important enough to know? How could I _not_ be important enough to know? It was my Agni forsaken idea, after all! The only time Daisuke had even mentioned the War Zeppelin to me was during our meeting a few days ago, and by the way he was talking about it, they weren’t even finished yet. I’d hoped that he’d mistaken his facts, since that was probably the logical explanation. But Daisuke was _never_ wrong, since he was _always_ right. Why would he be wrong about this, of all things?

After I had vented my frustration to myself, I put the box aside, deciding that I would leave it’s contents a mystery until tomorrow, which would surely be the most important day of my life. I would forget about those little facts for now, as I needed to be focusing on my presentation for tomorrow, not these ridiculous doubts that were creeping inside my mind.

~*•°•*~

In no time at all, tomorrow arrived. The day that I would finally be acknowledged for my brilliance and declared a true innovator in the eyes of the Fire Nation. Next to my acknowledgement as a firebending master, this would be the most important day of my life and I _refused_ to mess it up, so my presentation _had_ to be perfect. There would be no flaws in this day and it would be the most gratifying moment of my life, the moment that I deserved and _nobody_ and _nothing_ was going to get in the way of it.

I stood proudly as I examined myself in my uniform in front of my mirror, checking out every inch of my body that I could. I was wearing a more feminine version of a Fire Nation military uniform, with only shoulder pads and a protective collar, although the material used for the tunic in red with gold trimmings was rather dense, making it reasonable protective. One of the things that I disliked about the Fire Nation uniforms was that the armour often made it difficult to move, however I had more mobility in this outfit that fitted me perfectly.

I had hardly any issues with the uniform, except the part of the fabric near my elbows was rather stiff, making it difficult to move my arms. I tried stretching them out, figuring that a little more movement would get rid of the irritating stiffness. However, I failed to see a small, pointy object sticking out from my mirror that my arm would eventually get caught on, ripping part of the fabric and exposing my arm.

“No!” I shrieked, “Mother of Agni!”

I chided myself for being so careless and allowing something as small as that to happen. To anyone else, a small rip in a piece of clothing might not seem much but this _incident_ could ruin everything! My presentation _needed_ to be perfect and I _refused_ not to be perfect. I knew that I needed to be leaving soon, so that I would be early enough to be on time. Thinking quickly, I readjusted the pads around my elbows enough to cover most of the rip, which it did as it only showed a small part of it. I let out a sigh of relief, but still hoping that it would go unnoticed by anyone else.

I took a deep breath as I smoothed out my outfit, ready to present myself to the world before grabbing my sword and putting it in its place and exiting my room, shutting the door behind me. Waiting near my room, were several of Daisuke’s official guards who noticed my appearance and started heading towards me.

“What are you lot doing here?” I asked.

“We have come to escort you to the Royal Palace for the unveiling of the War Zeppelin’s under General Daisuke’s orders,” the first one immediately responded.

I scoffed, “Does he _seriously_ think that I am incapable of escorting myself? I am just shy of being sixteen-years-old, and I do not need _anyone_ to escort me _anywhere_. Some faith he has in me,” even though I could see their faces behind their masks, I knew that they were mocking me and that made me furious, “don’t you _dare_ mock me! I am to be celebrated, not mocked!”

“Y-yes, well we need to be moving on now,” the second guard said hesitantly.

I muttered obscurities to myself as I accepted their request, lagging behind them as I did so. How could Daisuke not think that I could handle myself enough to walk to the Royal Palace? Didn’t those five months that I spent away show him _anything_? Of course, I can take care of myself! It certainly didn’t help that the guards kept on looking back over their shoulders every few seconds, causing me to self-consciously examine myself, fearing that they had seen something wrong with me. I _refused_ to be imperfect, not on today of all days.

It wasn’t long before we reached the gates to the Tatakai Stronghold, where there were several commanding officers and other influential figures waiting. Out of the corer of my eye, I could see Daisuke standing nearby and after quickly wrestling to get those goons off of me, I proudly made my way towards my master, ready to present myself with poise and dignity, while checking my elbow every few seconds to make sure he didn’t see the rip in my clothing, knowing that he would not approve of it.

“Greetings, General Daisuke. I apologise if I appear flustered, I was not _aware_ that this would be taking place today,” I said as I glanced over my shoulder, glaring at the ground, “I see that everyone is here. So, when will we be departing?”

Daisuke turned his back to me before speaking, “There was a reason why you were not aware of this taking place today, Abby. Don’t I always have reasons for my actions?”

I glanced down, looking slightly surprised that I had been intentionally left out from such a big event, “Y-yes, you do in your greatness. But, w-why? Why was I not made aware of this?”

“After much consideration and deliberation, I have decided that you will _not_ be joining me on the launch of the War Zeppelin’s. You will stay here, at the Tatakai Stronghold,” Daisuke revealed.

My eyes widened as a look of anger overcame my face and I stepped forward, not wanting _any_ of this as I spoke, “N-no. I _can’t_ be staying here. I _must_ be joining you. I _should_ be joining you, you said so yourself!”

“There is nothing that you can say or do to change my mind,” Daisuke said firmly.

I shook my head, my face scrunching up in anger as I spoke, “Y-you… You can’t treat me like this! You can’t treat me like… Like I’m _worthless_!”

“Watch your tongue, young lady and _stay_ quite!” Daisuke ordered, only slightly raising his voice.

I stood forward, refusing to be spoken down upon, “I will _not_ watch my tongue and stay quite!” I snapped as I brought my hand to my chest, my fist clenched, “It was _my_ idea to make the War Zeppelin, I deserve to be the first to fly it!”

“Abby!” Daisuke hissed, slightly turning his head to face me with a deathly glare on his face. Immediately taking notice of the look on his face, I lowered my arm along with my head as I looked down at the ground in shame and embarrassment at my behaviour. How could I have acted so carelessly?

“I… I apologise for my outburst. That should not have happened,” I apologised, almost hesitant to look him in the eyes.

“You are right, it should _not_ have happened. However, because today is a very special occasion, I will let it slide. As I was saying, there was a reason for my decision to leave you behind. If you had let me finish, you would know what it is,” Daisuke explained.

I lifted my head up, with an expectant look on my face as it brightened, “And what would that be?”

“As you are aware, you are one of my most poised students who I am very proud to have had a hand in your development. You have mastered your bending unlike _anyone_ that I have ever trained and have exceeded far beyond mine and your own expectations. Despite your very few flaws, you have always remained a strong and determined person. I was highly impressed with your idea for the War Zeppelin, as was Fire Lord Ozai and the two of us have come to an agreement,” Daisuke continued.

“What agreement?” I asked hesitantly, unsure if I wanted to know what it was or not.

“For your unprecedented success, Fire Lord Ozai has given me permission to declare you, not only the _Dragoness,_ but also _General_ Abby,” Daisuke announced.

I stood there, floored and hardly believing my ears. Did… Did I just hear that right? Was Daisuke about to declare me a _General_ , the highest ranked position in the Fire Nation military? Even though it’s what I wanted more than anything, it was hardly what I had expected.

“I… I can’t believe this,” I said in disbelief.

“Believe it, because it is happening,” Daisuke said as he turned to face me before instructing the two nearby guards to come our way, with an elaborate looking piece of robes in their hand before handing them to Daisuke who respectfully handed them to me, “Your _new_ robes.”

I stared at the peace of fabric that was presented to me in shock, still in awe that this was _actually_ happening. Shakily, I took the armoured robes from Daisuke before carefully placing them over my body, fitting perfectly as they did so. Now I understood why the protection on my uniform was minimal, it was saving me for the _real_ deal. The robes did feel slightly heavy on my small structure, but nevertheless, I stood proudly in front of Daisuke, patting the shoulder pads on my robe.

“General Abby… it does have a nice have a nice ring to it,” I muttered, “This is so unexpected. If I had known this was happening, I would’ve had a speech prepared.”

“We wanted to surprise you with this news. Fire Lord Ozai sends you his highest congratulations, but he unfortunately could not be here to congratulate you in person,” Daisuke said.

“That is quite alright. As busy as he is, with the most powerful and important job in the world, I would understand why he could not be here,” I admitted.

“Very well. Your first order of business is to watch over the Tatakai Stronghold while I am away, which will only be for a week. You have full authority over the Tatakai Stronghold and may do whatever you please. Once I have returned, we will discuss where you will go from here,” Daisuke explained.

I nodded, “I will watch over the Tatakai Stronghold just as you would, General Daisuke. There will be _no_ shenanigans going on around here.”

“I am pleased that you have accepted the role with such grace and dignity, not that I would expect anything less from my most prized student. As much as I would love to stay and help you get acquainted with your role, I must be heading off now,” Daisuke said.

“Understood. I cannot thank you enough for giving me this role, General Daisuke. It means the world to me that you and Fire Lord Ozai would give me such a monumental responsibility. I will _not_ let you down,” I declared.

“Thank you, General Abby. I will now leave you to do as you please. Do not disappoint me,” Daisuke said before joining the other official figures.

“I won’t let you down. Or myself,” I muttered to myself.

This had all happened so fast and it was so… unexpected that I hardly had any time to process what had just actually happened. I was a _General_ now _._ A _General,_ the highest rank in the Fire Nation Army that you could possibly get. It takes years of discipline and rising up the ranks to get here and I just did it in one full swoop. I was sure that there would be people envious of me, but I was used to that since people always envied my skill and excellence. Now I have not just one, but two titles to prove it. This is what I had wanted for so long and it was finally _mine._

And I wasn’t going to let anybody ruin this for me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, that was a doozy of a chapter at over 6000 words, the longest that I have written for this story so far. I realise that the time skips are probably confusing, but they should be able to make sense. With the whole War Zeppelin thing, it’s kind of like when Zuko didn’t know about the war meeting in Nightmares and Daydreams, but it was obvious he was supposed to be there, like Abby was for this.   
> Also, the Phoenix that Abby saw was not one of her recurring hallucinations but her actual spirit guide. I thought of using either a dragon or a phoenix, but I decided on giving her a phoenix because of the symbolism. I originally planned on her having another hallucination with Kya, but decided that it was best for her to have a spirit guide that was trying to show her the right way without revealing itself. I can honestly say that this wasn’t how I had originally planned the story to go at this point and it has definitely taken a different turn, but I guess like always, it’s for the best.


	36. Loose Cannon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is yet another chapter that didn’t really turn out the way I planned, since I didn’t intend on writing Abby into a crazy psychopath, that’s just how it ended up happening. While you guys are here, I'd appreciate it if you checked me out on fanfiction since I'm there as well under the same name as here. This chapter takes place the day after the last one, so not that much of a time skip.

_Previously, on Blinding Horizon…_

_“What’s wrong with you? Did you fall a little bit too hard?” the peasant asked. More like taunted._

_“Stay out of this, peasant! This is between me and me only!” I yelled._

_“You’re crazy!” she called back._

_“I am not!” I yelled._

_~*•°•*~_

_I laughed again, even louder this time. “Drop the act, Sunshine. I overheard Morticia and Pollyanna talking. I know all about your little plan which by the way, never would’ve worked!”_

_Azula gave me that same, sinister smile that just made me want to burn the crap out of her. “What plan are you talking about?”_

_“You’re plan of turning me in for treachery, which I have not committed! I’ve been loyal to the Fire Nation through and through. I bleed Fire Nation red. I wouldn’t have gotten those three imbeciles for you if I wasn’t loyal!” I yelled, with my hand against my chest._

_~*•°•*~_

_She gave me a smug smile and stretched out her hands, “You must be that crazy firebender chick that they told me about.”_

_My eyes widened in rage. Crazy? How dare they call me crazy!_

_“CRAZY! You wouldn’t know crazy if it hit you in the head!” I shrieked._

_~*•°•*~_

_“ENOUGH!” I shrieked while letting out a blast of fire, causing the birds and other animals that were surrounding me to run in any opposite direction, “I’m not pathetic. I’m not worthless. I’m not unwanted. I’m not a pawn. I’m not! I’m not! I’m not! I’m not! I’m not! I’m not!”_

_I must’ve said it over a hundred times before I once again wasn’t paying attention to where I was going and tripped over a stray log. Angered by my carelessness, I set it on fire. I forced myself to get up, limping as I did so, and I cursed myself for once again hurting myself. At least it wasn’t my legs, since I could deal with an ankle injury._

_~*•°•*~_

_“I’m worried about her, Lils,” Kenji whispered, but loud enough for me to here._

_“Who, Abby?” Liling asked, causing me to raise my eyes. Why would Kenji be worried about me? What have I done to give him a reason to doubt my stability, other than my little moment back there?_

_“Ever since she has returned, something about her has just seemed different. I can’t quite explain it, but she just seems off. I think that time away did her more harm than good,” Kenji said._

_“Ken, I’m sure that you’re just being a worry wart. I’ve known Abby just as long as you have, and I see no reason for her to be a concern,” Liling dismissed._

_I nodded along with her as she spoke before Kenji continued, “You didn’t see what I saw when I walked in. She was hunched over, with her arms wrapped around her body almost as if she was soothing herself. It was almost like she had lost sight of what was going on around her. And what caught my attention the most, her eyes were twitching in an unhealthy way.”_

_~*•°•*~_

_“I was highly impressed with your idea for the War Zeppelin, as was Fire Lord Ozai and the two of us have come to an agreement,” Daisuke continued._

_“What agreement?” I asked hesitantly, unsure if I wanted to know what it was or not._

_“For your unprecedented success, Fire Lord Ozai has given me permission to declare you, not only the Dragoness, but also General Abby,” Daisuke announced._

_~*•°•*~_

When I woke up the next day, the first thing I did was pinch myself to see if what had actually happened did happen. I let out a sigh of relief when I realised that it did in fact happen, I was actually declared a Fire Nation General, the highest ranked position in the military. With this position, it made me more powerful than I could ever possibly imagine. I didn’t even _need_ my bending to be powerful because the title gave me power over practically any army in the Fire Nation. If people weren’t afraid of me before, then they definitely had a good reason to be afraid of me now.

With my General robes on, I made my way to my new office that had been given to me as a gift. Even though I had no part in the designing process, it was just the way I wanted it to be with everything symbolising my greatness. I couldn’t help but smirk to myself in satisfaction as I watched people around me cower in fear as I walked by, my influence already taking it’s toll. I just loved being powerful and feared by people because it meant that I was powerful. If you didn’t have that influence over people, then you have obviously been doing something wrong with yourself.

Once I had reached my office, I strode through the doors with my arms hanging out as I sauntered into the room, immediately catching everyone’s attention. I had requested for the painters to be waiting for me in the office so that they could paint my first official portrait, since now that I was a General I deserved to have one that displayed my greatness for everyone to see.

“Well, well, well, it’s _lovely_ to see you all here, on time,” I said as I walked into the room.

“But, this was the time that you told us to be here. In fact, you specifically said that we better be early or else you’ll throw us into the nearest volcano,” the head painter, Ichirou pointed out.

I snapped my head towards him and glared at him, “ _Don’t_ back-talk me!”

I could see the fear on his face as he gulped, backing away slowly, “My apologies, General Abby.”

“Much better. Simply treat me with the same respect you would to any other general and we shouldn’t have _any_ problems. However, if there are any problems you can expect to be thrown into the nearest volcano,” I declared.

They all looked at each other, almost as if they were afraid to even respond to me and I smirked to myself, satisfied with their reaction. A superior quality for any leader to have is the ability to strike fire into their followers at one glance, and I’ve managed to perfect that skill over the past few years. One of the other painters, Mizuki was the first to react.

“Where would you like the painting to be?” she asked hesitantly.

“I want me, sitting in front of my desk. Looking as fearful as ever so if I’m not scaring the fire out of you, then make it so that the picture does but I will try my best so that you don’t have to do an exaggeration,” I replied as I sauntered towards my desk that had an elaborate chair behind it.

“Would you like any refreshments before we begin?” one of the servants, Noburu asked.

I thought for a moment before giving him my answer, “I want a bottle of Fire Whiskey and three bags of Fire Flakes. We could be here for a while.”

“But, you’re barely even sixteen,” Mizuki pointed out, since in the Fire Nation you had to at least be eighteen before you could drink alcoholic beverages, but I had had Fire Whiskey when I was thirteen, so I saw no problem in having it now.

“Don’t you _dare_ question _my_ authority! If I want to drink Fire Whiskey, I will drink Fire Whiskey. Now _go get it_ ,” I ordered, saying the last three words in a dangerously deep voice.

Noburu shared a look with Mizuki that I wasn’t able to decipher before accepting my request, “Very well. I will fetch them for you quickly.”

“Good. Now let me just situate myself perfectly,” I mused as I took a seat on my chair, giving the most deathly look that I could while I clenched my fists to intensify my intimidation. Once I was ready, I expected them to start painting, but they just stood there, doing nothing which only increased my already jumpy temper.

“What are you morons doing just standing there? Do your job and _paint_ my portrait to exhibit my likeness. And make sure that everything is symmetrical. I won’t have my first official portrait marred by asymmetricity!” I spat.

That was enough to snap them into action and they quickly started painting away, muttering to themselves as they did so but I heard that all painters did that. Something about motivating the genius? Whatever, I wouldn’t care about it as long as my portrait came out just the way I wanted it to. If it was wrong, then they would just have to do it again.

~*•°•*~

After three _failed_ attempts, those moronic painters finally produced a portrait that I was satisfied with. The first one, my brow was too stretched apart and that simply would not do in my eyes, in the second one, my shoulders looked far too bulky, so it did not match the rest of my physique and lastly, the colours for my hair did not match my actual hair so after that, they were finally able to live up to their name and give me something that didn’t make me want to throw them into the nearest volcano. Or send them to the coal mines, whatever seemed most appropriate to me. The point is, I went through _five_ bottles of Fire Whiskey and seven pockets of Fire Flakes and I didn’t even feel slightly phased by it. Just a little bit weary but I had been experiencing that feeling a lot recently.

Currently, I was busy organising the delivery department, since the Tatakai Stronghold was responsible for the creation of numerous weapons and other goods used in the Fire Nation. It was a job that I hadn’t yet experienced and a job that I was _not_ enjoying. Up until now, I had never realised how idiotic some of these simpletons were until this moment. These people failed to understand basic instructions that made me want to pull my hair out. If I was Daisuke, I would not want this job, so I was looking forward to when I could actually do stuff that I wanted to do for my nation, in all of its glory.

I was busy checking off the requirements for today when I felt someone approaching me from behind and I turned around to see one of the attendants, Kyou standing there.

“What do _you_ want? Can’t you see I’m busy enough already?” I asked impatiently.

Despite being a man in his thirties, I could see Kyou shaking in his boots and I couldn’t help but scoff at his behaviour. Don’t get me wrong, I love being feared by people because it makes me superior to them, but this was embarrassing for him.

“W-well, I just w-wanted t-to ch-check –“ Kyou started, but I cut him off.

“Try asking in completely words, you imbecile. Do you want me to send you to the _coal mines_?” I threatened.

Kyou’s eyes widened as he spoke, “N-no. Besides, you don’t _really_ have the authority to do that.”

I instantly quirked my head towards Kyou, glaring at him as his eyes widened once again once he realised his mistake, “You _dare_ question _my_ authority?”

At that, I could feel that everyone’s eyes on us, watching intently as I raged at Kyou while he cowered in fear, “My deepest apologies, Abby. I forgot, please, forgive me.”

I continued to glare at him as I could feel everyone looking at me, waiting for my reaction. After a few moments of silence, I finally made my judgement, “Since I love it when people cower in front of me, I will react kindly. You are terminated, leave the Tatakai Stronghold immediately.”

Kyou’s eyes widened in shock at my declaration, and I could feel the other workers looking at me with the same reaction, “W-what?”

“You heard me, terminated. As in goodbye, as in see ya and get out of my face and never show your sorry self around here _ever_ again!” I yelled as I pointed my finger at the door.

Kyou closed his eyes and nodded his head before turning around and leaving the room, closing the door behind him. I smiled to myself in satisfaction, proud to have displayed my power in such an authoritative way. These other weaklings better take notice because I won’t hesitate to give them the same punishment for disobeying me. I could still feel them staring at me in shock, which I wasn’t going to have since they had much more important things to do.

“What are you miscreants looking at? We have work that needs to be done!” I exclaimed and upon getting no reaction, I spoke in a much more louder, demanding voice, “NOW!”

That seemed to do the trick as everyone scrambled to do whatever they could, not wanting to receive the same treatment as Kyou. I added an extra threat in there for good measure, “And the next person who steps out of line will receive a _far_ worse punishment than that!”

~*•°•*~

The rest of my day remained uneventful, since everyone seemed to take my threat seriously and merely did what I said with no question. One thing that I loved about being a General now was that nobody could question my commands, since I had the authority to give them. Another thing that I loved about my new position was just how _powerful_ it made me feel. I had command over thousands of Fire Nation soldiers and just _knowing_ that I could make them do whatever I wanted to do when I felt like it gave me more power than I had ever felt.

Although I thrived in doing what I did, I was quite relieved to finally go to bed after an exhausting day of dealing with these morons that I’m forced to put up with. I had changed into my more comfortable robes that I had severely missed during my time away, since I was forced to sleep in the same clothes day in and day out. I never _ever_ wanted to have to go through something like that again and with my title as General, I knew that I wouldn’t have to.

As I laid down in bed with my head rested on my pillow, I couldn’t help but think about what was to come. Once Daisuke returned from the War Zeppelin launch, I would be moved to a more permanent base which would certainly change my career options. I just still couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that _I_ had made history in becoming the first ever female General and the youngest General in Fire Nation history. Either way, my name would be going down in the history books and people would continue to study my successes generations from now. With thoughts from today still buzzing through my mind, I closed my eyes and waited for sleep to come to me.

Unfortunately for me, it never did.

Just my luck, those Agni forsaken _voices_ decided to return. Except this time, they were different than the other times. They were all jumbled up, muttering obscurities in a whispering tone that made it impossible for me to even get a wink of sleep. Despite how much I had tried to just shut my eyes and rest, it never happened. I even tried holding my pillow over my ears or over my face in a vain attempt to stop their nonsense but like I said, they were all in vain.

The voices continued getting louder and louder the more I tried to ignore them, so eventually it got to the point where I decided to just sit there and let them bother me. I laid down on my bed with my arms sprawled out, waiting for daybreak to arrive so that I could have a renewal of energy from the sun. Night seems to go by a lot slower when you’re actually waiting for it to pass. At one point, the voices started to become louder and more clearer which only made it worse once I could recognise what they were saying.

**Failure. Weak. Vile. Psychotic. Spoilt. Undeserving. Imperfect.**

That’s all they would say, just simple, one worded sentences that were the opposite of how I saw myself and I had to keep on telling myself that I wasn’t what they were saying I was. I was _not_ a failure, I was a success. I was _not_ weak, I was strong. I was _not_ vile, I was reasonably virtuous. I was _not_ psychotic, I was impeccably sane. I was _not_ spoilt, I received everything that I deserved. I was _not_ undeserving, I was just as deserving as anyone else. I was _not_ imperfect. In fact, I was the exact opposite. Perfect, just what I wanted to be and just what I was. Nobody, not even these nagging voices in my head could convince me otherwise.

**Are you sure about that?**

_Ugh, you again?_

**Yes, me again. Don’t act like you don’t appreciate me.**

_Well, I don’t now fuck off. It’s not like I have enough to deal with already._

**Oh, yes. I can see your sanity falling apart like never before. It’s only a matter of time before you end up having a mental breakdown and lose everything.**

_Just shut up and leave me alone!_

That voice seemed to take the message, but the others still remained and went back to going off just like they were before, faint and unreadable. It wasn’t just my own head that was turning against me, my eyes were as well. Every time I closed them, there was something there, something that I couldn’t quite make out, but nevertheless, scared the living daylight out of me. All I could do was just lie there while my own body tormented myself, with no way to stop it. I could only hope that the voices and those visions would just stop, but at this rate it seemed like I was going to be lying like this for a long time.

~*•°•*~

When morning came about, and the sun rose, I was still just like I had been the same night, tossing and turning while I tried to rid myself of those voices and visions, but to no avail. There was nothing more that I wanted to do than sleep, but I knew that I couldn’t given the position that I was in. It took almost all of the energy that I had to force myself out of bed. Even Agni’s blessing couldn’t help me right now, I was that out of it. I clumsily put on my robes, struggling to find my sleeves several times before my frustration reached its peak and I grabbed the nearest pair of scissors and simply cut them off, reducing my robes to a mere vest.

I examined the piece of clothing, not even caring about how messy it was as I easily put it over my body. If anybody asked, I would simply say that they were seeing things and that it was how it had always been. Once I was dressed somewhat appropriately and looked like I hadn’t just been tossing and turning all night, I opened the door to my room and headed out, only to be immediately greeted by Liling, who stared confusedly at me.

“Nurse Liling? What is the meaning of this?” I demanded.

Liling stood up straight, looking at me directly in the eyes as she spoke, “I came to see if you were doing alright, after hearing about what happened yesterday with Kyou. But those robes… didn’t they have sleeves on them before?”

I scoffed, “I’m doing just _fine_ , thank you very much. And these robes were always like this. You must’ve been seeing things.”

Liling didn’t seem to be convinced though but nevertheless, she accepted my response, “Very well. I must say… You seem a little on edge. Are you sure that you’re doing okay?”

“How could I _possibly_ be on edge? I’m as fine as I could _possibly_ be! Trust me when I say that there is absolutely positively _no_ reason to worry about me. Your concern is appreciated though, just not necessary,” I replied as I stepped past Liling.

“If you say so. One more thing, I suggest that you take it easy for the morning, to prepare yourself for the afternoon,” Liling said.

I immediately turned to face her, not understanding what she meant, “What? Why?”

“General Bujing will be stopping by sometime this afternoon. I suppose this is General Daisuke’s way of keeping you in order. I thought that you would’ve bene informed,” Liling answered.

I turned around, glaring at the floor, “I guess I wasn’t _important_ enough.”

“Well, I will be heading off now, Abby. Make sure you take it easy,” Liling said before leaving me to myself.

“Ugh, why don’t these dingbats ever tell me anything?” I muttered to myself as I stalked off towards the Communications Tower, where I was needed first.

The Communications Tower was located on the far-right side of the building and it’s where the messenger hawks were breed and trained before either being sold off to other cities or being used for our own communication. I had yet to visit the Communications Tower following my promotion and I needed to make sure that those morons were keeping the place intact without Daisuke around, so I wouldn’t have to pay for it myself. I also had my own message to send, which made my visit just the more worthwhile.

When I arrived, it was reasonably busy with messenger hawks bustling around while the caretakers tried their best to monitor them. There was added chaos with other birds flying in with their own messages that would then be transported to the delivery system, so the correct recipient would receive their mail. I was quick to make my presence known upon entering the room, getting everybody’s attention.

Yuu, the head care taker was the first to address me with a startled expression on his face, “General Abby, we weren’t expecting you here.”

“Yes, well, I have my own message to send and I figured that I might as well see how you are all doing. This hardly seems like an ordered workplace, simply with chaos and lack of order,” I observed as I looked around the room.

Yuu gulped, “Well, it is always hectic like this in the morning when the birds wake up. It is also when we receive most of our deliveries.”

“I will _not_ have this place being this disorganised under _my_ leadership! So, I would highly recommend that you do your job and control those nuisances. Do you want to have the same fate as Kyou?” I threatened.

Yuu widened his eyes and shook his head, “No, General Abby, I do not. I’ll do my best to control the birds.”

“Good. Now, which one would be best suitable for my message? I’m not sure how long it’s going to take to get there,” I said.

“What is your intended destination?” Yuu asked, slightly terrified as he should be.

I quirked my head towards him, “Is that any of your business, Yuu?”

“No, it would just be easier for me to help you if I knew how far the message needed to go so I could provide you with the best Messenger Hawk,” Yuu replied.

In that moment, I glanced down at the messily rolled up piece of paper in my hand and decided that it wasn’t worth it. There was no point in sending this message since I doubted that it would do me any good, especially since I had no idea where to send it to. Someone just needed to teach Yuu a lesson about staying out of other people’s business and I decided that I would be the person to do that.

“Well, that is my business and my business _only_! I suggest that you learn to keep your busty nose out from where it doesn’t belong, or those birds will be the very least of your problems,” I threatened as I sneakily picked up a nearby knife before throwing it towards Yuu, with it narrowly missing his head.

Yuu looked at me, terrified as he spoke, “I hope that was an accident.”

I scoffed, “Does it look like one? If my words weren’t enough incentive, then maybe that was. I suggest that you take my advice otherwise next time, I _won’t_ miss!”

And with that, I turned around and left the Communications Tower, burning my message as I did so since it was of no importance to me anymore. Now all I had to worry about was General Bujing’s visit, which was sure to be eventful.

~*•°•*~

Soon enough, the afternoon came, and I sat myself in my office as I waited for General Bujing’s arrival. If the man really wanted to see me, he would come to my office himself. Besides, given the fact that he’s one of the oldest Generals in the Fire Nation, he could use a little more movement. Gotta keep those old bones in shape. For the time being, I spent time preparing myself for when he would eventually arrive, knowing that this would be no picnic for me.

**It’s not like it’s been a picnic for you so far.**

_Are you kidding me? Are you actually going to show up now, of all times?_

**Yep, just like you I have incredible timing. So, this is your new set up? I like it.**

_Yes, it is quite magnificent and perfectly fit for me. Now, if you don’t leave I could end up losing it!_

**Oh please, haven’t you wondered why Daisuke sent General Bujing to check up on you? Answer: he doesn’t have faith in you! Did you really expect him to trust you, of all people to keep this place intact?**

_Well, like he’s always said, I am his best student. Or was, since I am now past that._

**Sure, go on the power trip. It’s only a matter of time before the power gets the best of you, which it already is. I mean, have you seen how you look recently?**

_Just shut up and leave me alone. Now is not the time for this nonsense. You can bug me later for all I care, just not now!_

**Hm, I think I’ll stay and watch you crash and burn.**

“I will _not_ crash and burn! I will rise like a true phoenix!” I exclaimed, standing up as I punched my desk out of frustration.

Suddenly, the doors to my office slowly opened to reveal Chao, my newly appointed advisor standing there with a hesitant expression on his face. I mentally scolded myself for my outburst, realising that he must’ve heard me.

“What is it that you want, Chao?” I asked.

“I just came to inform you that General Bujing has arrived and is ready to see you,” Chao replied.

I nodded, somewhat expecting this, “Very well, send him here.”

The doors shut, and I patiently waited for General Bujing to enter my office. Any conflicting thoughts that crossed my mind were pushed aside, since I decided that I would deal with them later. In a matter of minutes, the doors opened once again except this time, General Bujing walked inside with Chao following him behind along with a tray in his hands.

“Abby, it is good to see you again,” Bujing greeted me as he took the tray from Chao who excused himself, leaving just us two in the room.

“It’s _General_ Abby now, sir,” I corrected him.

“Right, how could I forget your controversial promotion. I’m sure that you’re wondering why I am here to see you?” Bujing asked.

I resisted the urge to scoff, “Here to check up on me, hm?”

“Just to see if you have successfully managed to maintain the order that Daisuke helped create,” Bujing said.

“Well, it has been no easy job so far, but I can assure you that everything has remained under control,” I said.

“Really? Then would you care to explain to me why you fired Lieutenant Kyou yesterday?” Bujing asked.

“He was being an insolent coward who failed to understand basic orders which I would simply not tolerate. I made it known that anyone who failed to do their job would receive the same punishment. It was rightfully justified if you ask me,” I replied.

“What is this that I hear about you throwing a pocket knife at one of the care takers earlier today and proceeding to threaten him?” Bujing asked.

I growled to myself, making a mental note to find out who had told him that, “The care taker, Yuu was also failing to do his job. He was also putting his nose where it didn’t belong in my business. Isn’t it common knowledge not to question your superior’s intentions?”

“I suppose that is somewhat justified, just not all of the reaction. A simple threat would’ve been appropriate,” Bujing replied.

“Not in my eyes. Those workers are still yet to understand that now I am the one they should rightfully fear, and I want to make it known that they should,” I said.

“Listen to me closely, girl. General Daisuke has bestowed such a monumental position upon you. One that takes years to achieve. I can speak from experience, having only achieved my title as General until I was forty-years-old, while you received yours at sixteen without even surpassing any ranks,” Bujing said.

“What is it that you are trying to say, General Bujing?” I asked.

“The title of General is not one to be taken lightly. While it does give you much power, there are many responsibilities that come with it, which you seem to be forgetting. Just like you did to that care taker, I should remind you where you place truly is. You have only been a General for a day and a half and while you still have much to experience, that title and position could be just as easily taken away from you if you fail to live up to your expectations. Don’t waste it,” Bujing replied, looking at me directly in the eyes as he spoke.

“Don’t you worry, I won’t be wasting this opportunity. I can promise you that, General Bujing,” I reassured him.

“Very well. That is all that I needed to say to you, General Abby. There will come a time for our paths to cross again and I suggest that next time, you are truly prepared,” Bujing said before departing my office, leaving me to my own devices.

When I heard the sound of the door shutting and could no longer hear footsteps from outside, I was quick to rise from my seat, following the direction that General Bujing had left in. I didn’t intend on following the man, I just wanted to find out who had blown the whistle on me and squealed to him. Then I would deal with them… appropriately.

Just as I was about to turn a different corner, I heard two hushed voices talking ahead. With my curiosity getting the best of me, I slowly made my way to the corner, wanting to hear more of the conversation for my own benefit. As I got closer, I recognised the voices coming from Bujing and Cheng, one of my newly appointed advisors which only intensified my curiosity.

“Is she as bad as I’ve heard she is?” Cheng asked, and I rolled my eyes, immediately knowing that they were talking about me because who else would they be referring to?

“Yes, she is quite literally hanging on by a thread. It is only a matter of time before she snaps completely and destroys this entire operation,” Bujing replied. Me, snap? Yeah right.

“Honestly, I do not think it was wise for Daisuke to appoint her as a General. She is clearly going on a power trip and I don’t see her lasting long before she goes completely insane,” Cheng noted.

Me, insane? That’s preposterous! I’m about as sane as they come. There is nothing wrong with me! How _dare_ they question my sanity. If I was insane, I would’ve just marched up to them right now but I’m not and I won’t. Instead, I’ll just listen to the rest of their conversation.

“Until that does happen, you need to monitor her every movement. Make sure that she doesn’t ruin everything that we’ve worked for,” Bujing said.

“It’s hard to keep track of her, given how fast she’s moving. I can’t really do much since she would probably fire me on the spot if I questioned any of her motives. She’s a loose cannon, I’m telling you now,” Cheng said.

“Daisuke should have never given her this much of a powerful position, but I will admit that it was a smart idea to keep her loyalty intact,” Bujing admitted.

I raised my eyebrows and snapped my head towards their direction. Idea? What idea is he talking about? Why would they need to keep my loyalty intact when I’m as loyal as ever!

“Perhaps his most ingenious plan yet. I must say, I was surprised when he presented it to us since I did not expect something like that from him. I thought that he held Abby with the highest regards,” Cheng said.

What were these old gasbags talking about? What is this _plan_ that they are referring to and what does it have to do with me? I needed answers, but I simply couldn’t just walk up to them and demand what I wanted, now could I?

“So, did I, but her recent endeavours have made it difficult for anyone to take her seriously. But she is an integral part of the Fire Nation and we cannot risk her starting a revolt. What we need to do now is just keep her at bay until the time is right,” Bujing added.

“When will we be moving forward with our plans?” Cheng asked.

“Daisuke told me that he will be sending her on a suicide mission shortly after he returns. I’m not sure what exactly, but he just said that it would be enough to remove her as an issue and she won’t see it coming,” Bujing replied.

“Besides, it’s not like she was officially declared a general. Daisuke just gave her a title and that was enough to keep her happy. In my eyes, she’s still merely a spoilt brat and that’s what she’ll always be,” Cheng commented.

At that final comment, I felt the energy from my face drain as my shoulders slumped. What… did they just say? This was all… just a plan? I was never actually a General? It couldn’t be. There had to be a misunderstanding, I just couldn’t be dumped like this. But the more I tried to deny it, I knew that it made sense and as much as it pained me to admit it, I knew that it was true.

Angered, I immediately stormed off, not wanting to hear anymore of their conversation. As much as I wanted to deny it, I knew that it was true. This had all be just some ploy to keep my loyalty, even though they didn’t need to. I was already loyal! Hadn’t I proved it enough? Why couldn’t they just have faith in me and then there wouldn’t be any need for this!

But what alerted me the most was the fact that Daisuke planned on sending me to a _suicide_ mission to get rid of me. That meant that he really _did_ want to get rid of me, which I certainly didn’t understand. There was no way that I was going to allow that to happen. I wouldn’t allow them to do that. They wouldn’t be able to do that, I was going to make sure of it. I would lock myself in my office if I had to. There was no way I was losing everything that I had worked for.

I was going to make sure of that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Looks like things have just gone from bad to worse for Abby and let me just say, it won’t be getting any easier for her from here on out. In case you missed it, General Bujing was the guy from the Storm who’s plan Zuko spoke out against that resulted in his banishment. I was getting lazy from trying to find names, so I remembered him and put him in there.   
> Now for some translations and there are a lot of them. Ichirou is a Japanese name with ichi meaning one and rou meaning son. Mizuki is a Japanese name with Mizu meaning felicitous omen and ki meaning hope. Noburu is a Japanese name that means extend. Kyou is a Japanese name meaning unite or cooperate. Yuu is a Japanese name that means excellence. Chao is a Chinese name that means surpass or leap over. Cheng is a Chinese name that means completed or finished.


	37. Rites of Passage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, we’ve officially reached the turning point of this story and you’ll soon see why once you read it. In Team Avatar’s timeline, this chapter takes place before the Library episode. As usual, italics mean hallucinations or dreams and thoughts. There will be a bit of POV switching in this chapter for the first time in this story, but it shouldn’t be that hard to tell what’s Abby’s and what’s not.

_Previously, on Blinding Horizon…_

_“Up until this point, your life has been full of struggle, yet you remain fiercely determined even in the ultimate danger. You strive for perfection to be happy, only to feel lost and empty on the inside,” Aunt Wu said._

_My eyes almost bulged out of my head and I immediately turned to look at her, narrowing my eyes. “What makes you say that, Aunt Skunk?”_

_“I can see your past in not only your eyes, but your face as well. You’ve been hurt but it’s only made you stronger. You’ve been misguided but soon you will face the truth and an inner conflict where you will be faced with a momentous decision that will dictate the rest of your life. Whichever path you take will have consequences for not only you, but everyone who you’ve ever encountered,” Aunt Wu said._

_~*•°•*~_

_I turned to face him. “I know who I am. I’m a stone-faced, cold-hearted, conniving, deceiving, calculating, ruthless, malicious, manipulative and insensitive bitch. But you know what, I’m proud of it. In fact, I embrace it. Without all of that, I’d have nothing. It’s who I am and what I was always meant to be!” I admitted._

_“But is that really what you want? Is this really the life that you want to lead? Are you really happy? For once, don’t let someone control your decisions. Think what you think, not what anybody wants you to think! Is that really what you want?” Osamu asked._

_~*•°•*~_

**_“I have always been with you, child. You might not realise it, but I have always been watching you, trying to help you,”_ ** _Saori said soothingly._

_“Help me? What help could I possibly need?” I asked._

_Suddenly, the golden phoenix came out from the mirror, now hovering just a few meters away from me as I backed away to my bed, gripping it tightly, **“I can see so much turmoil in your eyes. So much that has been buried for years and now that it is coming to light, you do not know how to handle it as you have always kept it buried. You need to understand that you will only be at peace with yourself once you have settled the conflict inside of you.”**_

_~*•°•*~_

_I scoffed, “I’m doing just fine, thank you very much. And these robes were always like this. You must’ve been seeing things.”_

_Liling didn’t seem to be convinced though but nevertheless, she accepted my response, “Very well. I must say… You seem a little on edge. Are you sure that you’re doing okay?”_

_“How could I possibly be on edge? I’m as fine as I could possibly be! Trust me when I say that there is absolutely positively no reason to worry about me. Your concern is appreciated though, just not necessary,” I replied as I stepped past Liling._

_~*•°•*~_

_“When will we be moving forward with our plans?” Cheng asked._

_“Daisuke told me that he will be sending her on a suicide mission shortly after he returns. I’m not sure what exactly, but he just said that it would be enough to remove her as an issue and she won’t see it coming,” Bujing replied._

_“Besides, it’s not like she was officially declared a general. Daisuke just gave her a title and that was enough to keep her happy. In my eyes, she’s still merely a spoilt brat and that’s what she’ll always be,” Cheng commented._

_~*•°•*~_

Two days had passed since I found out about Daisuke’s _plan_. Since then, I had refused to leave my office, not wanting to give them the chance to continue with whatever plan they had install for me. It still disgusted me, the fact that Daisuke would be willing to just get rid of me like that astounded me. After everything that I had worked for and what I had done for him, he’d just toss me aside like I was _worthless_. The more I thought about it, the more I figured that maybe if he proved just how _worthy_ I really was, maybe Daisuke would just abandon his plan and allow me to keep my title as General. I was not going to let anyone get in the way of everything that I had worked so hard for.

A few of my attendants had come to check up on me, but I always ignored them. Nobody could come inside, since I had lodged my sword between the door so there was no way anybody could get inside. If they were that desperate to see me, they would break the door down themselves. I spent most of the time hunched up in a corner, with my legs pulled up and my face buried in them as I tried to rock myself to sleep. I could still hear my demons going off, and this time they were louder than ever before. They made it impossible for me to go to sleep, and the fact that every time I closed my eyes there was something there didn’t help either. Every time I would see something I _knew_ wasn’t there, I would simply scratch my eyes in an attempt to get it away from me.

I hadn’t slept properly in almost four days and it was beginning to take its toll on me. There was nothing more that I wanted than a few hours of sleep but even that was impossible. I hadn’t properly seen myself in the mirror in days and I probably looked horrendous, but given the fact that I was refusing to let anyone see me, there was no point in worrying about my appearance since it didn’t matter. I could see my life falling apart right in front of me and despite how much I tried to resist it, there was nothing I could do. I tried singing myself to sleep or at least to a state of where my mind didn’t feel like it was about to explode.

This wasn’t right. This wasn’t how things were supposed to be, yet there was nothing I could do to stop it. My life was crashing down before my eyes and I didn’t understand why. Why is it then when I finally had everything that I ever wanted, everything starts to fall apart? The universe must have it out for me. Otherwise, I would be happy at my success, not hunched over in a corner while I tried to console myself.

 **“There is still hope for you, child,”** a familiar voice called.

Dreadfully, I glanced up to see Saori floating above me, her golden wings stretched out as they flapped back and forth. I narrowed my eyes before seething, “There is no hope for me.”

 **“Despite what you may think, you can still be saved. Cleanse yourself of your sins. Live the way you want to live, not what others want you to,”** she said softly.

This time, I glared at the spiritual being, getting irritated with the way she spoke to me, “Oh, so you can see the future now, can you? You can see me in a different life? Well, I hate to burst your bubble but that’s just a hallucination, just like _you_ are.”

 **“You say that like it is normal. Open yourself, broaden your horizons. People will help you if you just let them, rather than shutting yourself away and relying on fear to control people,”** Saori said.

“I don’t _want_ anybody’s help. I don’t _need_ anybody’s help. If I want help, I’ll get it myself when I want it. Now just leave me alone,” I pleaded.

Saori opened her mouth to speak, but all that came out were hissing noises before she unleashed a blast of fire towards me. Instinctively, I sent one towards Saori, but the phoenix merely sent it towards the chandelier before flying through the roof, leaving me alone once again. The fire was quick to surround the chandelier before it plummeted towards the ground with a loud crash, with the fire spreading around it. When the panic started to set in, I moved my arms in a rhythmic motion, augmenting the flames before bringing them towards me in a spherical shape and with one movement, I thrusted my hands upwards, the fire disappearing as it’s ashes fell to the ground. That was one of the many firebending moves that I had taught myself, to dissolve fire and it was something that only I knew.

After that, I took a few cautious steps backwards until I was pressed against the wall. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and my head snapped up. There was banging for a few moments, but no voice. Who wanted something from me now? Then, panic started to set in as I rattled over the possibilities. For all I knew, it could be Daisuke returning to send me on his _mission,_ so I could die. There was no way that was going to happen. I walked towards a nearby bookshelf and climbed onto the top, giving myself the height advantage.

“Abby? Is everything alright in there?” A muffled voice asked as they tried to break down the wall. Because of that, I couldn’t make out who it was which made me panic even more.

“Yes, now go away!” I hissed.

Eventually, after a few hard kicks, the door to my office burst opened and I glanced down to see Seung walk in, a shocked look on his face as he saw the chandelier on the floor. Ugh, what did he want?

“Abby? Are you in here? I thought I heard your voice,” Seung said carefully as he stepped around the chandelier.

Keeping my position hidden, I stayed quiet, not wanting him to find me so he would just leave. I was not in the mood to deal with their pathetic problems.

“Well, if you’re not here, I’ll just leave now,” Seung said as he turned around. Smart move.

As I crouched down on the shelf, I heard the smallest squeaking sound from below me and I grimaced, realising that my spot had been blown. Seung whirled around and his eyes widened upon seeing me, but he didn’t make a move for the door.

“Abby! W-what are you doing up there?” Seung asked.

I scoffed, “Why should I tell _you_? You’re probably in cahoots with them, waiting for me to fall apart so you can send me away! Well, you can’t send me away if I’m up here!”

Seung just looked confused, yet slightly terrified, “In cahoots with who?”

“Don’t act like you don’t know! I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone knew!” I exclaimed as the realisation dawned on me, “Yes, that makes _perfect_ sense. You all conspired together to take me down, because you were jealous of my perfection and my skills! I’ll give you credit for turning Daisuke against me, but alas, it will all be for nothing!”

“Abby, what are you talking about? Who turned Daisuke against you?” Seung asked.

“You’re just an imbecile, like all of the other morons who run this place! You all need someone to tell you what to do and that person was me! But you couldn’t handle my authority, so you lead a revolt, a revolt that will not succeed! Because I _never_ fail, and I _never_ will!” I screeched.

“Yes, y-you are successful. And I’m not against you, Abby. I never was,” Seung tried to reason with me, but I was not having any of it.

“Oh, _please_! I could spot that lie a mile away! I bet _she_ put you up to this, didn’t she! Well, nice try Sunshine but I’m winning this round!” I yelled.

“Who’s Sunshine?” Seung asked.

I rolled my eyes, “You really are a moron. Just like all of the others. But I am _not_ a moron just like I’m _not_ worthless!”

Seung’s eyes widened, “I never said that you were worthless, because you’re not. Abby, nothing you’re saying is making sense.”

“Does it ever?” I hissed.

“Maybe I should go get Liling. She can help you. You need help,” Seung said.

“I don’t need help! I never have, and I never will!” I screamed as Seung turned to leave, but I wasn’t going to allow that to happen, “You stop _right_ there! If you even move another _muscle_ I will destroy you!”

That seemed to do the trick as Seung stopped dead in his tracks. I’d even scared him to the point that he wouldn’t turn around to face me.

“You know, you can turn around to face me. I’m not _that_ hideous,” I said.

Slowly, Seung turned around and I couldn’t help but laugh at his appearance. He looked like he’d just seen a ghost or used the bathroom. Or both.

“Oh, you should see your face right now,” I laughed as I carefully stood up on the shelf. I went to make another move, but I heard a creaking sound and the next thing I knew, the shelf collapsed below me, and I went down with it.

“Abby, are you okay? Do you want any help?” Seung asked as he walked towards me.

“NO! I don’t need any help! What’s it going to take to get it through your thick head?” I shrieked as I forced myself up, with pieces of wood from the shelf falling off from me. My head felt slightly dizzy and the room was starting to spin around, but I figured that it was just from the fall and that I’d be fine.

I glanced down at my arms and my eyes narrowed as I saw a few dots of blood dripping down my elbow, with a nice long scratch to go with it. I glanced back at Seung, who simply stood there, frozen. It was almost as if he was too afraid to do anything that would upset me, as he should be.

“Tell me, Seung, have you ever examined your own blood?” I asked tentatively.

Seung looked confused but nevertheless, he answered my question, “What do you mean?”

“I mean, not all blood can be the same, right? Everyone’s has to be different! Look at mine, for example. Is it like yours?” I asked, oddly fascinated by my own blood as it dripped down my arm.

“I wouldn’t know, since I’ve never seen you bleed before,” Seung answered carefully.

I grinned, taking out my spare pocket knife that I kept in my shoes, “Well, I can help you do a comparison!”

“Abby, what are you –“ Seung started before I grabbed his hand and stabbed the knife through his skin, eliciting a powerful scream from him. I watched as blood started to pour from his right hand, satisfied at the damage I had caused.

“So, is it the same?” I asked, gesturing to my elbow and to his hand.

“Abby, you _need_ help. You’re going _crazy_ ,” Seung said as he gripped onto his hand.

“Stop saying that! I don’t need help! If I needed it, don’t you think I would’ve found it myself?” I asked.

Seung shook his head, “You’re not thinking clearly. You don’t know what you’re doing. Even your normal self wouldn’t do _this_.”

**Do it, end his pathetic self. He’s not worthy of your space.**

“Oh, so I’m _abnormal_ now? Or would you prefer, crazy!” I shrieked as stalked towards him, ready to inflict more pain on him.

As I took several steps forward, the room suddenly felt even more dizzy. The voices inside my head were growing louder once again, almost as if they were arguing over each other. I stumbled over the remnants of the chandelier, ready to deliver another blow as I pounded my hand against my head.

“Oh, shut up! I don’t need this nonsense now!” I shrieked.

Seung chose that moment to run away from me to his right and he eventually hunched himself up in a corner. I whirled around, giving him an award-winning glare as I stumbled towards him, the knife slowly slipping from my fingers as my coordination began to fail me as well.

“Abby, please, just think about what you’re doing!” Seung pleaded.

“You’ve already turned my mind against me, don’t you see? They’re always there! Even when I don’t want them, and I just want it to stop! The only way to stop them is to just do what they want!” I shrieked.

As I took more steps forward, it got to the point where I was beginning to stumble over my own feet, tripping from side to side and I struggled to keep myself upright. At one point, I looked up to see that my vision had blurred like it had never blurred before. Everything just looked like it was surrounded by bubbles, with a beaming light in the distance that only hurt my head even more. I could barely make out the figure of Seung in the corner as everything jumbled together, confusing me all the more. I could feel the knife shaking in my hands, it’s impact spreading throughout my body. Suddenly, the knife slipped out from my hands and fell to the ground.

And I fell with it, before my vision went completely blank.

~*•°•*~

Seung stood there, petrified at the sight before him. Only moments ago, he’d been cornered, and his life was threatened by someone who he once considered a friend. He had been shocked by the turn of events, never experiencing this sort of behaviour from her before. But what shocked him the most was when Abby went tumbling down along with the knife she had threatened him with moments ago. She laid there, limbs sprawled out across the floor. He grimaced as she landed over some of the glass from the chandelier. It was enough to make him almost forget about the blood dripping from his hand. Almost.

Seung heard the sound of footsteps in the distance, before the doors burst open and he heard a loud gasp from that direction. He looked up to see Nurse Liling and Master Kenji standing there, shocked at the scene before them.

“Seung! What happened?” Liling exclaimed with wide eyes as she rushed towards him, examining his hand one she did.

“I don’t know. She just went _crazy_!” Seung answered.

Kenji raised his eyebrows, “Crazy?”

“She was saying all kinds of random stuff, like we were all in cahoots and that we were out to get her. She said that we’d somehow managed to turn Daisuke against her, but she wasn’t going to let us succeed. Then the shelf collapsed, and she was on it. She then pulled out a knife and stabbed me in the hand before threatening my life, saying that it was the only way to get the voices to stop. Then, she just collapsed,” Seung quickly explained.

“I knew that there was something going on with Abby,” Kenji muttered.

Liling sadly looked down at the girl who was collapsed on the ground, “You were right, Kenji. I should’ve seen this coming. Especially now when it was so obvious something wasn’t right.”

Kenji put a comforting hand on her shoulder, “Abby always knew how to manipulate people to her advantage. I think that she’d managed to manipulate people into thinking she was fine when she clearly wasn’t.”

“I don’t even think she knows that,” Seung muttered as Liling bandaged up his injured hand.

“We must get her safely to her chambers. But before we do, we have to make it seem as though nothing’s happened. Luckily, nobody else was around to hear the commotion like we did,” Liling instructed.

“What are we going to do about the office?” Seung asked.

“We will fix that in due time. But right now, Abby is my primary concern. However, _nobody_ can know about this. Especially Daisuke. If she’s right, and he really _is_ against her, there’s no telling how he will respond to this,” Liling said as she looked around the room.

“Liling is right. Abby’s mental health and well-being should be our first concern. We will worry about this later. Right now, we need to get her safely to her chambers without being spotted,” Seung said.

Liling and Seung nodded and they both helped Kenji pick up Abby before carefully carrying her body out of the damaged office. Once they were sure the coast was clear, they safely carried her to her room where she could hopefully rest and recover safely. However, unbeknownst to them, Abby was fighting her own battle.

~*•°•*~

At first, everything had been all fuzzy and confusing. But when I opened my eyes next, everything was as clear as day. However, it wasn’t like I had remembered it. For starters, I wasn’t in my office, I was somewhere near the Fire Nation Capital City. Secondly, I was in a more elaborate outfit and my body didn’t feel as rigged as it did before. I walked past a nearby corner, trying to find out where I was. Then, I heard a booming voice from nearby.

“Abby, the Dragoness, one of the most powerful firebenders in the world, faced off against the Fire Nation’s greatest threat, the last airbender, the Avatar!”

My eyes widened as I realised what was happening. No… This couldn’t be happening. Whoever this was couldn’t be declaring my failures out to the world.

“Like nobody else would, she lived up to her name, displaying her true power and ferocity!” another voice that was almost identical yelled.

“She completed what many had tried but had all failed!” the first one yelled.

“She slayed the Avatar, securing our victory!” they both yelled.

At that comment, my eyes almost bludged out of my head. Since when had I faced off against the Avatar and won? How did I even slay him, when all the times we had faced off, he had regretfully overwhelmed me.

“Now, it is with great honour and pride that we present to you…” the second voice trailed off.

“Abby, the Dragoness! And now, the greatest firebender in the world!” they both yelled.

That was certainly a mouthful, but a good one for me. I liked being called the greatest firebender in the world. It made this feeling of pride overwhelm me. I had never felt this proud before. Ignoring the impossibilities of the situation, I stepped forward and through the flames in front of me to see that I was now facing the Royal Plaza with renowned firebending mentors, Lo and Li standing beside me. No wonder their voices sounded so similar.

The crowd below me applauded like I had never heard an applause before. Even during my firebending tournaments, I had never gotten this sort of response. And it thrilled me. Because this was all for me and my success, not my failure. I didn’t even care if it seemed too good to be true.

Almost on cue, there was suddenly a loud burst in the sky above me as an ethereal being showed itself, glancing down upon me. It was unlike anything that I had ever seen before to the point that I couldn’t even describe it.

“You think you’re the greatest firebender in the world? That would be the overstatement of the century! You are no legend, you are a failure and a disgrace to the Fire Nation! You deserve nothing!” the being declared.

Suddenly, the sky began to part into a dark colour and the scenery around me began to fade into nothingness as the buildings started to collapse. I leaned over the ledge to see that the crowd had started to disappear as their applause turned to boos. I glanced to my side to see Lo and Li fade into thin air. I leaned backwards, only to fall hurling towards the ground as the railing disappeared. I glanced down, the ground getting closer and closer to me and despite how hard I tried, there was nothing I could do to save myself.

“You can’t even save yourself! How pathetic!” the being yelled.

The last thing I heard was a loud splat before everything disappeared into darkness once again.

~*•°•*~

Meanwhile, in Abby’s chambers, Kenji watched with concern as he saw his former student convulsing on her own bed. When they finally managed to bring Abby to her room despite almost being spotted several times along the way, Abby’s temperature had reached a peak like it had never before. The poor girl was boiling hot, with sweat dripping down her body as she thrusted around her bed.

“What is wrong with her?” Kenji asked Liling.

“I’m not sure. This is unlike anything I have ever seen. Her chi feels clogged, like there is something in the way. Perhaps that is what’s causing her to act this way?” Liling suggested as she examined Abby’s body.

Before Kenji could respond, the door burst open as Seung rushed inside with a bucket of water and several towels. His injured hand was now wrapped with a bandage that was almost soaked with his blood but Seung knew that there were bigger, more important things to worry about. Like the girl in front of him who he considered a sister.

“I got the cold water and the towels that you asked for, Nurse Liling,” Seung said as he handed the items to her.

“Thank you, Seung. If you don’t mind, would you please dip the towels into the water and place them over her body. Maybe that will be enough to cool her down,” Liling instructed.

Seung nodded as he did what he was told, “Anything to help.”

Kenji only watched as his former student’s face crinkled up in pain. His heart went out to the poor girl who was clearly struggling like she never had before. All they could do was hope that Abby would eventually snap back into her senses and recover from this, but the chances of that happening seemed highly unlikely.

~*•°•*~

When I next opened my eyes, I was lying on the ground but to my surprise, my body was _not_ dismembered into tiny pieces with my blood splattered everywhere. In fact, it was perfectly intact. That only made me wonder even more what was going on. Why was this happening? How was this happening? I should be yelling at Seung and trying to kill him, not doing whatever I’m apparently doing now.

I groaned as I forced myself to sit up straight and properly open my eyes, so I could see where I was. Once I did, I was met with an almost blinding light that caused me to shriek in pain as it came into contact with my eyes. I rubbed them furiously and my surroundings started to come to me. I was in a room, I got that much. And I was surrounded by dozens of mirrors. Maybe even hundreds. I had never seen this many mirrors before. Who needs this many mirrors anyways?

Suddenly, all of the mirrors flashed and started to play sequences of actions that I couldn’t seem to recognise. Slowly, I forced myself to stand up as I looked around the room, trying to find a way out so I could go back to wherever it was I was supposed to be, but there was nothing. As I looked closely at the mirrors, my eyes widened as they were practically replaying all of the key events in my life. When I first met Daisuke, my first firebending tournament, all of the times I faced off against the Avatar and everything else. It was like being stuck in a whirlwind as I struggled to keep up with everything.

I started to feel dizzy once again before there was a loud smashing noise and I looked up to see all of the mirrors shattering into thousands of tiny pieces. I tried to punch or kick out any firebending form as they fell towards me, but nothing came out. It was like I had just been reduced to a… nothing.

“Because that’s what you are!” A voice shouted.

I grimaced as I looked up to see a man clad in Earth Kingdom clothes towering above me before noticing a woman clad in Water Tribe clothes glaring down at me.

“What do you want?” I couldn’t help but ask.

The woman glared at me, “To tell you what a _disappointment_ you are!”

I glared back at her, standing up as I did so, “I am _not_ a disappointment!”

“Oh, really? That’s not what Daisuke seems to think since he was so eager to get rid of you!” the man yelled.

“You’re both wrong!” I yelled, more to myself than to them.

The woman laughed, “You think you’re so great, when you’re not. You’re a failure and a disgrace!”

The man nodded, “I’ve never been so ashamed of anyone in my life, you spoilt brat!”

“There’s no reason to be ashamed! I’ve achieved more in the past ten years of my life than what most people do in their entire life! I’m not a failure, I’m a success!”

“Keep telling that to yourself,” the woman snarled.

The man smirked, “At this rate, she’s the only ally she has left after she turned everyone against her.”

“What?” I shrieked.

“There was no plan, and nobody was ever out to get you. Just your own, stupid fault,” the woman hissed.

“Just like everything always is!” the man yelled.

For a split second, I saw another being flash above me. I took a few steps backwards upon seeing the familiar white hair and Water Tribe clothes. In a split second, the late princess was gone, leaving me with the two figures. Suddenly, the two hunched over me, slowly bending down as they repeated the same words, “You brought this on yourself.”

“You brought this on yourself.”

“You brought this on yourself.”

All I could do was scream to nothing.

~*•°•*~

“How is her temperature now?” Kenji asked Liling as she examined Abby.

Liling shook her head, “Even worse than before. It seems as though the cold water has done the exact opposite of what it was supposed to do.”

“Have you figured out what’s wrong with her?” Seung asked.

“Unfortunately, no. I have looked over every sickness that it could possibly be and her symptoms match nothing. This is unlike anything that I have ever witnessed,” Liling replied.

“Maybe we should tell someone?” Seung asked.

“No! Like I said, nobody can know about this. It would do her more harm than good,” Liling snapped.

Kenji opened his mouth to speak but was cut off as a burst of fire filled the air. But it didn’t come from one of them. It came from Abby.

The three of them watched in horror as the Dragoness screamed, fire bursting out of her mouth as she did so. They all looked at each other in shook, having never seen her firebend like this before as her body continued to writhe all over the place. At one point, Abby brought her hands to her face and started scratching at her eyes as she screamed, almost as if she was trying to claw her eyes out.

“Abby, can you hear me?” Liling asked desperately, hoping for a response that she would not receive.

The firebending prodigy only continued to breath out enormous bursts of fire, almost as if she was completely unaware of her surroundings or what she was doing.

“What should we do?” Seung asked panicky.

“We need to restrain her somehow!” Kenji exclaimed.

They all rushed around, trying to find something or anything that they could use to tie Abby down. Eventually, Seung found a set of chains nearby before handing a piece to Kenji and Liling as they tied Abby down to her bed. While it stopped her from twisting and turning, her mouth still breathed of fire and all the three onlookers could do was watch her display. There was nothing more that they wanted than to help her, but it seemed as though everything they tried only made things worse.

~*•°•*~

At one point, the screaming stopped and the booming voices above me disappeared. I was still hunched down with my head buried between my legs. Only once I convinced myself that nothing was there did I look up, only to see that I was now suspended in the air in a _cage_ of all things. Honestly, how in the world were these things happening to me? One minute I would be somewhere completely different and then when I opened my eyes, I’m somewhere completely different.

Suddenly, I heard a loud screeching sound from behind me and I turned around in shock to see two _dragons_ duelling each other. This had to be some sort of bizarre dream world since the last thing I remembered was falling to the ground and as far as I’m aware, the dragons are extinct. Still, I watched in awe as the possibly real but most likely fake dragons circled each other, unleashing their own burst of flames at each other. It was safe to say that I had never seen a firebending display quite like this before.

The blue dragon glanced at me as it seethed in a scarily familiar voice that sent shivers through my spine, “Did you _really_ think that you could defeat me?”

“I will always defeat you, blue dragon because good _always_ wins!” the red dragon yelled in another familiar voice that I couldn’t quite point out.

“Since when has good won? As far as I’m aware, the Fire Nation are the ones winning this war as they rightfully should!” the blue dragon taunted.

“There will come a time when you, and everyone else will meet their fate. Whatever that is, it’s up to them,” the red dragon said ominously.

Before the red dragon could even react, the blue dragon unleashed a powerful firebending display that literally destroyed the red dragon as it fell hurling towards the ground. Once the blue dragon finished watching it’s opponents untimely demise, it’s gaze turned to me.

“Well, isn’t this just _special_. The Dragoness, at _my_ disposal,” the blue dragon taunted as it circled my suspending cage.

“Let me out of this thing now and I’ll show you just why that’s my name!” I demanded.

The blue dragon laughed, “As entertaining as that sounds, I’d much rather finish you off quickly and easily!”

And with that, the blue dragon came flying towards me before opening it’s mouth and swallowing me down. I let out another scream as I went down the dragon’s stomach, hearing it’s booming voice from outside its body.

“You’re _weak!_ You do not deserve your title! You never did! Now it’s time to pay for your mistakes!”

Despite how desperately I wanted to escape the dragons body, there was nothing I could do as it’s stomach slowly encased towards me. I tried my hardest to withstand the suffocating feeling that quickly overwhelmed me before once again, all I saw was nothing.

~*•°•*~

Kenji, Liling and Seung watched Abby as she laid on her bed. Her fire-breathing had stopped a few minutes after she started, as did her convulsing. At first, they took that as a sign of improvement but were quick to take that thought back as Abby started to cough more and more, occasionally throwing up over herself as she did so. While her erratic behaviour had seemed to subside, her sickness only worsened.

“This is horrible,” Seung muttered as he watched Abby.

“Are you sure there isn’t anything we can do?” Kenji asked Liling.

Liling shook her head, “I’ve tried everything to help her, but nothing as worked. It seems as though she is either going to win whatever this battle is, or succumb to it on her own.”

“Let’s hope that she can win it,” Seung said.

“For now, all we can do is wait,” Liling said.

~*•°•*~

The next time I opened my eyes, I wasn’t even surprised to see that I was an entirely different setting, since that’s how things seemed to be working now. I was growing tired of this. All I wanted to do was just wake up and go back to whatever this place wasn’t. My mind could only handle so much of this nonsense.

“But is that really what you want?” an angelic voice asked me.

I turned to face another ethereal being standing there. I narrowed my eyes, trying to make out whatever it was but got nothing in response. All I could do was just stand there, unsure of how to react.

“You know what to do, Abby. Deep down, you’ve always known. For so long, you’ve kept the truth hidden from yourself. Only once it started coming to light did you start to fall apart because for so long, the truth has been what you feared, much like how you have used fear your own way,” the angel said.

“Don’t listen to her garbage, she doesn’t know what she’s talking about! Isn’t that right, Abby?” another voice asked.

I turned around, to see another ethereal being standing there. This one seemed a little less welcoming than the angel, although there was certainly something tempting about her.

“She is the one who has filled your head with lies! Just admit that you’ve always known the truth, because you have! Abby, you know what your heart wants, and you know that this isn’t it,” the angel reasoned.

“Sometimes, the heart can be blind. Just do what you’ve always done and follow your gut because it hasn’t been wrong before. You know what they say, your mind can play tricks on you and your heart can be blind, but your gut is always right. You know what your gut wants,” the devil said.

In that moment, I closed my eyes, wanting one moment of peace as I tried to sort out what in the name of Agni was going on. These two beings really were pulling me in two different directions. One that I will admit that has always been with me and one that has hardly ever crossed my mind. Now, in hindsight, one of them is what I’ve always really known, and the other is something that sounds rather tempting, but not what I really wanted. I will say, in this moment, my head felt more clear and less confused than it had in months, maybe even years.

I suddenly felt the presence of another being and looked up to see Saori floating above me, a stern looks on her face as she spoke her next four words.

_“It’s time to choose.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, that was another mouthful of a chapter at over 6.5k words, which is now officially the most that I have written for this story. Now do you guys see why I said this chapter was the turning point of the story? In case you missed it, Abby just went through her metamorphosis, similar to what Zuko went through in the series. There was also some subtle foreshadowing in this chapter that will come into play in later chapters.


	38. Moment of Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was excited to write the last chapter and now I’m even more excited to write this one. This chapter takes place directly after the last one, so the Library hasn’t happened yet. Back to Abby’s POV we go.

The next time I opened my eyes, I was almost dreading it since every time I had opened my eyes I was confronted with my worst nightmare. Except this time, that didn’t seem to be the case. When my eyes started to open, everything was blurry, but I couldn’t seem to grasp my surroundings. The skin around my eyes felt itchy as hell, like there were scratch marks around them for whatever reason. It felt like there was a loud ringing noise going off inside my head that I just wanted to stop. In an attempt to smack some sense into myself, I tried lifting my arms.

Except I couldn’t.

That seemed to do the trick as once I realised I was restrained, my eyes snapped open and I looked around the room I was in, my eyes darting from side to side. I recognised that I was in my quarters which confused me since the last thing I remembered… I don’t really remember the last thing I remembered. Everything just felt like one big blur. As I quickly regained consciousness, I realised that both my arms and legs were chained to my bed and that was when the panicking began, since after my experience with those blasted merchants, I felt uneasy around chains. I tried wriggling to free myself, but there was nothing I could do. So, I did the only thing I could think of.

I screamed.

I screamed as loudly as I could, even feeling the strain against my lungs as I did so. The power of my screams was even enough to elicit fire to burst out from my mouth, which was something I only ever did if I was in extreme pain or anger. I heard the sound of quick footsteps before Master Kenji, Nurse Liling and Seung rushed into the room. They appeared to be surprised by my alertness as they crowded my bed.

“Abby, can you see us?” Liling asked.

“Yes, I can see you! I’m not blind!” I spat.

“You need to calm down, we just want to help you,” Kenji said calmly, causing me to glare at him.

“You expect me to be calm when I wake up to find myself chained to my bed?” I asked sarcastically.

“She has a point,” Seung agreed.

“Now, I want answers!” I yelled.

“Be quiet, Abby. We can’t have anyone hearing you otherwise it will arouse suspicion,” Liling said.

I glared at her, “I’ll be as _loud_ as I want to be. Now tell me, _why_ am I chained to my bed? _Why_ do my eyes feel like they have scratches around them and _why_ do I feel like I haven’t slept properly in months?”

I expected an answer, but all I got was confused looks from the three as they glanced at each other before glancing back at me.

“What? Why are you looking at me like I just grew a second head?” I asked a lot more calmly.

“You mean… you don’t remember?” Seung asked hesitantly.

“Remember what? Why do I feel like I’m the only one who’s missing something here? Clearly, I am since I have no idea what the Vaatu is going on around here. Now just answer my questions!” I snapped.

“You really don’t remember?” Kenji asked, surprised.

“Of course, I don’t remember! Just answer my Agni-forsaken questions before I make _you_ remember why you shouldn’t mess around with me. Because I don’t like jokes,” I hissed.

“She really doesn’t remember,” Liling said.

I rolled my eyes. If they could’ve gone any further, they would’ve gone right into the back of my head, “Just tell me what is going on around here! I demand answers!”

Seung gulped before he spoke, “You… you threatened to kill me.”

I raised my eyebrows in confusion and surprise, “What? Now, Seung you might have your irritating moments, but I would never actually kill you. I can’t have your blood on my hands anyways.”

“Holy mother of Agni. You’re back!” Kenji exclaimed, which only confused me even more.

“Back from where? My _restrained_ nap?” I questioned with a hint of sarcasm.

“Abby, what is the last thing that you remember?” Liling asked hesitantly.

“I’m… I’m not sure. Everything just feels blurry. Like there’s something missing. Why? What am I missing?” I questioned.

“I understand that this might be difficult to come to terms with. But you were slowly going insane. When you returned from your quest, there was just something off about you. I didn’t see it until it was too late, but you were definitely not as I remembered you. Your sanity was hanging on by a thread and it certainly didn’t help when Daisuke gave you the title of General,” Liling explained as Kenji freed me from my restraints.

Liling’s words surprised me more and more. Truthfully, I didn’t feel insane. In fact, I felt at ease with myself for the first time in what felt like, forever. Did I really go insane or is this some practical joke? But as soon as she mentioned Daisuke, everything fell into place. And I mean everything.

The thoughts, the voices, the arguments, my deteriorating sanity that felt completely normal to me at the time and the _plan_. Daisuke’s plan to get _rid_ of me, after everything that I’d done for him! I’d given him my life, and he was so willing to toss me aside so quickly? As my mind started relocating what I was missing, the more anger I felt rising inside of me at what had happened.

“Abby, are you feeling alright? You seem tense,” Kenji said.

I sighed, “I’ve just been through a lot the past few months. But now I understand why. Everything is clear to me now. Everything.”

“So, you remember?” Seung asked.

I nodded, “Yes. It’s only just hit me now. Seung, I’m… I’m sorry for stabbing you in the arm with a pocket knife and threatening to kill you. It was… wrong.”

“Normally I wouldn’t be so forgiving of someone stabbing me in the arm but since I know you don’t apologise at all and I get that you weren’t really _you_ then, I understand. Just don’t do it again,” Seung said.

I smirked, “Why not? You’ve got one perfectly unharmed hand.”

“I thought you didn’t like jokes?” Seung asked.

I shrugged, “Not when they’re at my expense.”

“Abby, I must ask how are you _really_ feeling now? Do you feel…” Liling trailed off.

“Insane? To answer your question, no. I don’t feel insane. In fact, I feel… revived. Like there was something holding me back but now it’s gone. I feel better than I’ve felt in years,” I admitted.

“That’s good to hear. I’m glad that you’re better now. I must say, you gave me quite a fright. I was worried you would not come back from whatever it was you were going through,” Kenji said.

“To be honest, they were just all of these visions that didn’t make any sense to me and they still don’t but now that I’m here, I know where I stand. I know what I’m supposed to be doing,” I declared.

“We should let you rest then. We’re still busy repairing your office, but we’ll check up on you shortly,” Liling said.

“I don’t need to be checked up on. Not anymore,” I muttered.

“Just don’t strain yourself too much. You must be exhausted, and you need rest to get your strength back,” Kenji ordered.

“When is Daisuke coming back?” I asked.

“He should be back within three days. You’ll be happy to know that the launch of the War Zeppelin was a complete success. Your brilliance paid off,” Liling replied.

I sighed, “That’s great. Could you guys just please… leave now?”

Seung nodded, “I think some space would be best for her. Let’s go, now.”

Kenji and Liling nodded in agreement before leaving me back in my room. Alone. When I was sure they were gone, I flopped back onto my bed out of exhaustion. My head was still slightly spinning, and I knew that I needed rest. As I pulled the covers over me, my mind was going a million miles a minute. I knew that I needed to think of a new plan, since it was clear I wasn’t wanted here. But I would worry about that later as now, I needed rest before I could even think about anything else.

As my eyes slowly slid shut, I suddenly felt a soft breeze floating towards me. I blinked my eyes open and they widened upon seeing Saori floating above my bed. She just looked at me, with a slight smile on her face as she flapped her wings.

**“You are free now. You know what needs to be done.”**

That was all Saori said before she spun around and flew through my roof, leaving me by myself once again. As I slowly drifted to sleep, I pondered Saori’s words as they echoed through my ears. She was right, I was free. Free to do anything that I wanted now. There was nothing holding me back from doing what I wanted to do.

And I knew what needed to be done.

~*•°•*~

Three days had passed since I woke from my confused state. In that time, I mostly stayed in my room while cleaning up the mess that I had made during my time as General. I successfully managed to get Kyou reinstated after I fired him while making amends with those I had overacted to during my brief insanity. They all seemed to be wary of me, like I would snap any moment and do some unspeakable action against them, which I didn’t plan on doing. I planned on tying up any loose ends I had left with the time I had left.

From what I had heard several hours ago, Daisuke had returned from the launch of the War Zeppelin. Even though I understood why he did it, I still felt ticked off that I wasn’t there since it was _my_ idea and he was probably taking all of the credit for it. Why wouldn’t he, since he was so ready to get rid of me? Daisuke had always been a man of many mysteries but after I was done with him, there would be no room for any mysteries.

Night had fallen as I stood in my room, my supplies gathered as I began to dress myself in the appropriate attire. I had put my extravagant robes aside and settled for my training gear, my dark, long-sleeved, eggplant coloured shirt with a red vest over it that had gold trimmings on the edges, matching dark red pants with a split skirt, my pointy shoes with gold trimmings and black bracers and fingerless gloves. Once I had my outfit on, I grabbed my black cloak from my closet and threw it over my body before I unclipped my dragon headpiece, my hair falling down and over my face. I hardly ever wore my hair down, since I always wore my headpiece with pride but after what I was about to do, I wouldn’t be needing it anymore.

When I was ready, I sat down at my desk before I pulled out several pieces of paper and wrote my letters to the intended recipients. There would be no time for long speeches, so I figured I would write what I had to say. It was the least I could do for them.

Once I had written the letters, I carefully rolled them up and placed them inside my cloak, which I pulled over my head before grabbing my sword and my belongs and flinging them over my shoulder. With that, I headed towards my door and shut it gently behind me. As I walked further away from my room, I felt a strange feeling of emptiness as it was where I had lived for so long and now I was walking away. But what overwhelmed me even more was the nerves that filled me because of what I was about to do.

Never in a million years did I ever think that I would even be _willing_ to do what I was going to do, but things change. People change, and I have certainly changed a lot in the past few months. What I have experienced is nothing that I ever thought I would, but it was what I needed to experience to realise the truth and finally admit it to myself.

For so long, the truth had been my enemy but now it was about to be my only ally as I was about to make the most important decision of my life.

~*•°•*~

In no time, I had managed to deliver the letters to their intended recipients without being spotted which was my intentions. With that job done, I headed towards my intended destination, ready to make the biggest decision I could ever possibly make. Soon enough, I arrived at a familiar door hidden behind the red curtains that I knew so well. As I stood there, I prepared myself for what I was about to do, my nerves at an all-time high. This was by far the most nervous that I had ever felt, even more nervous than I felt when I faced off in my first firebending duel. These nerves were nothing compared to that.

As I readied myself, I pushed aside every feeling of self-doubt or second thoughts that clouded my mind. For me to do this, I had to be one hundred percent sure that this was what I truly wanted, and it was.

It was now or never.

With one last deep breath, I pulled the curtains aside and opened the doors before walking inside my intended destination. When I walked inside, Daisuke sat at his desk with his head down as he scribbled away on some piece of parchment that I couldn’t care less about. At first, he didn’t notice me until I managed to grab his attention. Daisuke’s head snapped up and he glared at me, since I had my cloak pulled over my head that mostly hid my face.

“Who goes there? How dare you enter my chambers without my prior knowledge?” Daisuke demanded.

Taking a deep breath, I lifted my hand up to yank my hood back, revealing my face to Daisuke. He seemed surprised by my appearance, but nevertheless he sat back down at his desk as he stared at me up and down.

“Abby, what are you doing here? You of all people should know better than to enter my office without arranging it beforehand!” Daisuke yelled.

“Yes, I should. But that’s not how it’s going to work anymore,” I said calmly.

“What do you mean?” Daisuke asked.

“What I mean is that for the first time _I_ ,” I said as I pulled out my sword and pointed it at me, “am going to say what I want to say and _you_ ,” I pointed the sword at him before continuing, “are going to sit there and listen to me. No questions, no ulterior motives. Just me to you, student to teacher, person to person.”

“Very well,” Daisuke conceded.

“Daisuke, for ten years I have fought beside you and fought for you. For ten years I gave you everything that I had, never leaving anything in the tank. Everything I did was to satisfy you, my teacher, my superior. I dedicated my _life_ to you! I was nothing but loyal to you, yet you only ever saw me as a _tool_ ,” I snapped.

Daisuke’s mouth slowly lifted into a smirk, “What makes you say that?”

I glared at him, “ _Don’t_ lie! Haven’t you done that enough to me already? For once, be honest with me and tell me, did I ever actually _mean_ something to you or was that all I ever was to you, a tool, some weapon of mass destruction to do your dirty work for you?”

“Is that any way to talk to _me_ , your _superior_?” Daisuke asked.

“That’s another thing I should mention. From now on, you hold no power over me. I am my own person and I can control my own fate and my own destiny,” I stated and in that moment, I felt like for the first time in a long time, I finally had control over myself.

“Oh, how _brave_ of you,” Daisuke mocked me as he rolled his eyes.

I scoffed, “There’s also something else I should come clean about. At the North Pole, I _didn’t_ kill Princess Yue. _She_ sacrificed herself to save the Moon Spirit after Admiral Crazy killed it, which he never should’ve done to begin with.”

“So, not only are you a traitor now, but you were a traitor all along?” Daisuke asked.

I sighed, “I guess you could say that. You should also know that I know all about your _brilliant_ plan to get rid of me by sending me on a suicide mission. Next time, you might wanna keep that information to people who know how to keep their mouths shut!”

“Well, it’s worked anyway because you seem to be going on your own way,” Daisuke admitted.

I laughed bitterly, “It’s funny, because all this time I worked for you, you told me that failure was not an option and that success was the only way to empower yourself and to earn your place in the world. Only now do I realise how wrong that was because only once I started to fail, did my life start to fall apart. Or come together I should say.”

“What are you trying to say?” Daisuke asked.

“When I first came back to the Tatakai Stronghold after you sent me to capture the Avatar, I told you that I knew that this was where I was supposed to be. Only now do I know that this _isn’t_ where I’m supposed to be. I’m not really sure where that is, but I know that once I walk away from this place and leave it behind I will finally find my own path and write my own future,” I explained.

Daisuke chuckled softly to himself, “It’s true. You really _have_ gone insane.”

“No. I’m enlightened,” I stated.

Daisuke gritted his teeth as he roared, “So, this is how it ends. You’re just going to run away like a coward? After everything I’ve done for you?”

I rolled my eyes, “What you’ve done for me? You mean all those times you abused me and manipulated me for your own selfish gain? How _kind_ of you.”

“You make me seem like some kind of monster. I wasn’t always so ‘horrible’ to you,” Daisuke said.

I scoffed, “Those burns you gave me as _punishment_ beg to differ. I’ve seen a lot of things from different walks of life in the past few months and I know that’s not how you’re supposed to treat other people.”

“It was to make you strong! And it did. I made you who you are!” Daisuke roared.

“Yes, yes you did. You made me into a cold-hearted, cutthroat, deceiving, malicious, manipulative bitch! But no more. I’m wiping the slate clean and finding out what and who I’m supposed to be. This chapter of my life is over, and the next chapter of my life starts now,” I declared.

“You won’t survive a day out there by yourself! Because you’re _weak._ You’re a failure and a disgrace!” Daisuke belittled me.

I laughed in response, “Aren’t you a failure too?”

“How dare you refer to me as such!” Daisuke roared.

“It’s true. You tried to make me into your little puppet who would just do as you pleased. Only you _failed_. So, by definition, _you_ are a failure too. Welcome to the club,” I said.

“Get out of my sight right now you worthless piece of waste!” Daisuke hissed.

I shrugged, “Fine by me. While I might’ve hated every minute that I was here, I must thank you for helping me find the right path. At least you’ve done one good thing. Goodbye.”

With that, I turned around and started heading towards the door. Suddenly, I heard a burning sound from behind me before I felt a scorching hot blaze come hurling towards me. Knowing that it came from Daisuke, I pulled out my sword and turned around, using it as an extension of my body to deflect the flames before sending the attack right back at Daisuke, setting fire to his office in the process.

Not even bothering to look back and see his reaction, I bolted out of his office, knowing that I needed to make my exit quick if I was to make it out of here in one piece. For the most part, I didn’t come across any trouble until I reached the courtyard where the guards were on patrol. Upon seeing me, they sent multiple blasts of fire in my direction, but I was able to counter their attacks with my own firebending, easily dodging them while overwhelming the guards in the process. With them taken care of, I ran towards the gate and when I had the perfect space, I thrusted my arms down to use my firebending to propel myself into the air, narrowly missing a lightning strike that surely came from Daisuke in the process.

Despite not hitting me, the impact of the lightning strike was enough to enhance my propulsion over the gate and safely onto the ground. Once my feet were planted, I took off running, not even bothering to look behind me as I did so. I could hear all sorts of chaos going on around me, but I merely used my firebending to enhance my speed to make my exit from Caldera City. I didn’t care who or what I had to step over, only wanting to get myself out of there as quickly as possible without leaving a trace behind.

In no time at all, I reached the top of the volcano surrounding the Fire Nation Capital and quickly managed to get myself to the top and down the side. Not once did I think to look back, only focusing on getting as far away from there as possible. It was safe to say that I had never ran this fast before in my life.

Eventually, the chaos faded away until the only sound I heard was my feet trampling across the ground. Only once I was sure I was in the clear did I stop running to regain my breath. Exhausted, I slumped down a nearby tree as I buried my face into my knees, hardly believing what I had just done.

I had just committed treason. By definition, I was a traitor and now I was an enemy to the Fire Nation. In no time at all everybody would be on a manhunt looking for me, but I wouldn’t let them get anywhere close to me. I wasn’t sure how, but I’d eventually find a place where I could be free. Right now, my main concern was continuing on the path that I had only just forged for myself. Whether I wanted to or not, I couldn’t doubt my decision now.

There was no turning back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, you ready right. Abby’s a good guy now. Though I wouldn’t necessarily say ‘good guy’ just impartial. I won’t give away too much, but soon her being a traitor will be the least of her problems. Also, it really shouldn’t be that much of a surprise that she’d turn against the Fire Nation, despite how loyal she was in the beginning. I’d be surprised if there was anyone who thought she would actually stay an antagonist the entire time.


	39. New Challenges

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter of the thirties. We’ve come so far lol. Since you guys managed to get in a good amount of reviews, I figured that I’d give you another good chapter. This chapter takes place around the time of the Library so while Abby’s off galloping around the Fire Nation, they’re somewhere around the Si Wong Desert in the Earth Kingdom lol. This chapters gonna be a little bit all over the place with the plot-holes but it’s all for the purpose of the story.

Two days had passed since I’d officially abandoned Daisuke _and_ the Fire Nation. I hadn’t heard that much about my current status in the Fire Nation since I hadn’t really come across any villages, but I was sure that Daisuke had wasted no time in having me branded as a traitor. He was probably leading the manhunt himself, since I knew how he felt about treachery. If he had to choose between saving me or himself, he’d choose himself in a heartbeat and while I wouldn’t have said it before, he probably would’ve made the same decision even when I was still loyal to him.

I rarely ever stopped to take a break, only if I was exhausted and simply couldn’t take another step. I wanted to put as much distance between myself and the Fire Nation Capital as possible. The only saving grace I had was that I knew Sunshine wouldn’t be after me, since as far as I was aware she was still chasing the Avatar and his little posse. My feelings towards the Avatar were now indifferent, just like they were for everything else.

I couldn’t care less about this stupid war anymore, I just wanted to do what was best for me and if that meant swallowing my pride and admitting that everything I had always preached was wrong, then so be it. If I came face to face with the Avatar once again, I would simply cross that bridge when I got there although I might not try to kill him then. I’d made the decision that from now on I’d only use my firebending for necessary defence, only if I was attacked would I attack them back since I didn’t want to put myself in a compromising position.

Travelling in the Fire Nation was a lot different than it was travelling in the Earth Kingdom. Even though the scenario was practically the same with me trying to stay hidden from any citizens, I was still laying low while doing what I had to do to survive. I had only taken a few gold pieces and practical supplies that I would use if desperate times called for desperate measures. I preferred to travel light, since there was no point in lagging around dead weight if it wasn’t necessary.

As I made my way through the Fire Nation, I couldn’t help but realise how different I felt when I was travelling in the Earth Kingdom. Back then, I only had one goal and that was to take down the Avatar at whatever costs. But now that my Avatar hunting days were over, I didn’t really know what I was doing. That realisation gave me an empty feeling in my chest, like something was missing but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. All I knew was that I didn’t feel as pumped and energised as I did before.

Soon enough, dark clouds filled the sky as night filled the Fire Nation. If I wasn’t a traitor now, I’d probably be back resting in my room at the Tatakai Stronghold without a worry in the world. Now I was out here, with nobody but myself to watch my back. I knew that I had no allies and that it was up to me to keep an eye on myself since nobody else would. It’s nice to feel wanted, I guess.

The full moon glistened in the night sky, shining bright as it illuminated the surrounding area. At night the moon was my only source of light, along with the stars that twinkled in the sky. This was when I was truly at my weakest, since firebenders relied on the sun and our power was even more limited under the influence of the full moon. It wasn’t long before my legs started to give in, and I knew that I needed to find someplace to camp for the rest of the night.

Only once I was sure I had found a perfectly secluded place did I set up camp for myself. Setting up camp only consisted of me making a fire to keep myself warm while finding the softest pile of grass to fall asleep on. Exhausted, I fell onto the ground to let sleep overcome me. But of course, things don’t always go my way.

Ever since I had left the Tatakai Stronghold, I had been more alert than ever, and I treated even the slightest noise with the greatest suspicion. I needed to be on high alert, since I couldn’t risk getting caught by anyone because all that would mean for me is a trip back to the Fire Nation in chains. Then I really would have nowhere to go. It made me realise just how alone I really was in this world. Regardless of what happened at the end of the war, I would be in trouble even if the Avatar won, I would be charged as a war criminal. All I could do what was best for me.

Just when I thought I was in the clear, the slightest snap of a twig sent my head into a tailspin. My head instantly shot up and I sprung into action, instinctively grabbing onto my sword and prepared to defend myself. I was going to make sure that whoever or whatever was there knew who they were dealing with. After a few seconds, there was another noise and I could literally feel my heart pumping out of my chest. That was something I needed to get under control. For a moment, there was no sound other than the wind brushing against the trees.

Then, the only sound I could hear was my own body being pulled up from the ground.

I wasn’t sure how it happened or what was going on, but I was forcefully pulled up from the ground against my will and away from my sword. And I say against my will because I had no control over what was happening. My veins were making all sorts of swishing noises as my body was twisted and turned into positions that I’d never been in before and that I was pretty sure it _wasn’t_ supposed to be in. I tried my best to withstand whatever it was, but I couldn’t control my own limbs. I could feel my veins pulsing and see it happening as well on my arms and legs. It was unlike anything that I had ever experienced before.

I tried to fight it with every fibre in my body, but I honestly had no control of myself. This wasn’t like before when Daisuke was controlling me, somebody was literally using me as their own personal puppet. My arms and legs twisted and turned against my will, creating an unbelievable pain that shot through my body. I felt so disgusted, so helpless and so… scared. For the first time in my life, I admitted that I was scared because I truly was. Something sinister was happening, since never had I ever heard or read about anything like this happening to anyone.

Suddenly, I heard cruel laugh from the bushes. It sounded humane, but in a sick, twisted way. I desperately wanted to fight whoever was behind this, but like before, I had no control of my own body. Slowly, the perpetrator revealed themselves from behind the bushes. While it was dark, and my head was constantly twisting and turning against my will, I made out the form of a woman in front of the bushes. She was clad in grey and red robes and based on the greyness of her hair, I assumed that she must’ve been an old lady. She was certainly living up to the notion of age being no barrier as she rendered me helpless under her control.

As she walked closer to me, I noticed that whatever her arms did, my body followed their movements. I wasn’t sure how, but I assumed that she was somehow controlling me herself, which I didn’t understand. There was no foreseeable way for this to be happening.

“Well, look what the litter dragged in!” she hissed.

“W-who are you? W-what are you?” I asked, feeling another vein on my neck popping.

“Who I am is not important. What am I is one of the most powerful benders you’ll over meet,” she replied, twisting her hand around and I felt that swishing feeling in my chest once again.

“How can _bending_ do this?” I asked.

The woman cackled, “You’ve got to keep on open mind, you _Fire Nation_ rat. It’s incredible what sort of things you can do when you’re at your strongest.”

For a moment, I was confused as I pondered her words. She said she was a bender, but I’ve never seen any bending quite like this. This sort of bending goes even beyond lightning generation. Then it hit me. She was at her strongest. This was a full moon. Waterbenders are at their strongest underneath a full moon.

“Y-you’re a w-waterbender?” I asked.

“Excellent deduction. I’m sure that this goes beyond anything you _firebenders_ could ever dream of! The ultimate control over somebody’s body! Enforcing your own will over theirs!” she declared.

With one small movement of her wrist, my face flew head-first right onto the ground as my body writhed under her control. There was nothing more that I wanted to do than fight back, but I was helpless.

“H-how is t-this possible?” I croaked out.

“Our bodies are made up of water, aren’t they not? Like skins filled with liquid,” she mused.

My eyes widened at the realisation, “You can _bend_ the blood in a person’s _body_? Like bloodbending?”

“You’re a smart one, aren’t you? And powerful. I can _feel_ the raging power inside of you. Power that I’m sure you’ve used against helpless victims before,” the woman seethed.

“Isn’t that what _you’re_ doing right now?” I hissed.

“This is not about me. This is about you and your people. You’ve destroyed _millions_ of lives! Someone has to pay for their mistakes,” she declared.

“And it’s _my_ fault this war started? I’m not gonna throw the blame game but I’m not the one who started this war!” I exclaimed.

“Enough of this stalling! I’ve been waiting for the perfect person to unleash my true power on. I can see the power in side of you. The power that you already possess and the power that you could potentially possess. I’d be doing the world a _favour_ by getting _rid_ of you,” she rambled.

“Y-you’re going to k-kill me?” I stuttered.

“Yes. Slowly with your own blood. Turning your insides against themselves! You’re death will be slow and painful. Just like you deserve!” she yelled.

“I should warn you, you old hag, I’m nothing _easy_ to get rid of,” I said.

The woman gave another deathly, low laugh, “This should be _fun_ then.”

It was already late at night, but that didn’t stop that sick hag from having her _fun_ with me. I hated that word now. Everyone’s version of _fun_ seemed to be something so sick and twisted, like those merchants who wanted to do the unspeakable to me and now this wretched old woman who wanted to _kill_ me, painfully and slowly. I just couldn’t catch a break, could I?

What frustrated me the most about this situation was how _powerless_ I felt. I had zero control over my own body. Just when I thought I finally got control over myself, the world decides to throw another spanner in the works. Although I couldn’t help but think if I was going to die now, it would probably be for the best since I doubted if I ever truly could be free since everywhere I turned, there was always something in the way. Maybe I’m just not cut out for this. Perhaps I’d get better luck in hell, since that was probably where I was going at this stage.

The hours ticked by as that wretched old woman had her _fun_ with me. I was surprised by how long I had managed to last, since it was probably hours into the morning, but I could feel my blood pulsing like it had never done so before and I knew it was only a matter of time. Honestly, I would’ve rather been killed quickly and easily so I would feel it less, but in the reason of justice I guess I deserved to die slowly and painfully. It seemed as though that sick woman had finally had enough of playing with me, so she made me start walking through the forest as she controlled me from behind.

This was it. I was about to die. I can’t say it hasn’t been a long time coming.

Eventually, we reached this cliff not too far away and I cringed as I realised that she was probably gonna throw me over it and my body would probably be severed into pieces as it crashed against the rocky bottom. With every strength that I could find, I tried to fight against her grip, but it was too much. My only saving grace would be the sun, since I knew it would give me the energy I needed to reverse the tables.

“Any last words?” the old woman asked.

“You’re sick and I hope you fall into the nearest volcano!” I hissed.

The woman laughed, “Not what I was expecting but at the same time, I should expect nothing less from the likes of you.”

I fought back the urge to shoot back another remark since she still had my life _literally_ in her hands. I was slowly beginning to feel the sun rising, but it wasn’t enough to give me the strength I needed, even if I could feel her grip slowly slipping away. I could only hope that the sun would give me the strength I needed to get back control of myself before it was too late.

“Try not to leave _too_ much blood behind,” she said sinisterly.

And with that, I was thrusted forward against my will, sending me hurling over the edge of the cliff. I wasn’t going to scream, refusing to give her the satisfaction of my demise like that. My limbs were all shaky and I barely had enough time to grasp hold of the situation before a sudden burst of fire and energy exploded through my body.

With one swift kick to the left, I managed to push out a powerful enough blast of fire to propel me back in the air, just barely missing the rocky surface. I gritted my teeth and narrowed my eyes in determination, ready to deliver a surprise attack on that wretched old woman and to show her who truly was boss. When I landed back onto the cliff, that witch turned around in surprise as her eyes widened in shock at my sudden reappearance. I just loved getting that reaction from people.

“W-what? But h-how?” she stuttered.

I smirked, “You should’ve gotten rid of me when you had the chance, you old hag!”

I angrily punched out several blasts of fire in her direction, but she was somehow able to pull water out from the grass to create a shield to protect herself. With every ounce of power that I had, I pushed harder to break her barrier before eventually creating a mini explosion that sent her hurling backwards a few feet. I then swung my arm up, creating a fire blade that sliced a nearby tree in half that fell down between us. After that, I pushed my feet backwards to propel myself across the ground and out of there as quickly as possible, refusing to look back as I did.

I could feel my body deteriorating, my veins still pulsing from the impact of the attack. My skin was all flabby and it hurt like hell. I eventually managed to get back to my campsite before grabbing my stuff and continuing to head away from there as quickly as I could. Not only did I have distance to put between myself and the Fire Nation Capital, I had distance to put between myself and that wicked old woman. I could still hardly believe that that had actually happened. I never thought that someone could ever possess that sick sort of power.

I would worry about that later as right now I needed to focus on getting away from this area as quickly as I could. Eventually, I stopped paying attention to my surroundings as my vision became blurry and my body grew weak once again, but I didn’t care. I just kept on going, even if it probably wasn’t the wisest thing to do. I would pay for it as an unseen branch sent my flying into the air and tumbling over the ground and into a nearby tree. As much as I wanted to get up, my body was too depleted to do so. In that moment I gave up and let darkness surround me, the last sound being the heaving of my own chest.

~*•°•*~

“She’s waking up!” was the next thing I heard.

“Give her space then!” another voice ordered.

Eventually, my vision came back to me and at first all I could see were several blurry faces before they finally became clear to me. Leaning over me were two girls and one guy, all looking roughly around my age. I was just relieved to not have to come face to face to that old hag who’s face, and laugh would forever be implemented in my mind and my nightmares.

“Can you see us?” one of the girls asked.

“Yes, I can see you. Now would you lot be kind enough to tell me who you are and where I am?” I snapped.

“You should take it easy. You were pretty beat up when we found you,” the guy suggested.

I rolled my eyes, “You’re not answering my questions!”

“She seems pretty fine to me. My name’s Aika, this is Nori, and this is Ishan. We found you passed out underneath a tree. You’ve been out for almost a day now,” the girl, Aika explained.

“Oh. How am I doing?” I asked hesitantly, not really knowing the answer myself.

“Your veins were practically throbbing when we found you, but Aika was able to use energy healing to help fix things up. You’ll need a lot of rest to get your strength back though since you’re still somewhat weak,” the other girl, Nori explained.

“What in the name of Agni happened to you anyways?” Ishan asked.

“I… I fell down a hill, but I was really weak after that and got a lot of cuts and bruises,” I lied.

“Hm, well I must say it is great to finally meet the famous _Dragoness_ ,” Aika drawled.

My eyes widened, “H-how do you know who I am?”

“Well, you are one of the most renowned firebenders in the country. Anyone who’s anyone has at least heard of you once. Plus, the fact that you’re a traitor now kind of makes you a hot target,” Nori replied.

“I’m still thinking that we should’ve just sent her to the Fire Lord. We would’ve been set for life,” Ishan said, earning a glare from all of us.

“Ishan! You know just as well as I do is that if she really _is_ a traitor now that she’d be the perfect addition to our group!” Aika exclaimed.

“What group?” I asked warily.

“Can we really trust you? You’re not gonna rat us out?” Nori asked.

I shrugged, “it’s not like I have anything to gain from it. Like you said, I’m a traitor now.”

“We’re a part of the Underground Society, a secret group of people who work around the Fire Nation’s law. For the past few years, we’ve been ambushing their soldiers, cutting off their supplies and doing everything we can to mess with them,” Ishan explained.

“Our goal is to help as many people as we can by stopping the Fire Nation from continuing their rise to power. We just want the best for our citizens, and this war is not doing that,” Aika continued.

“We’ve all lost someone from the war. Isahn’s father died in combat and his mother died of a broken heart. Aika was born to an Earth Kingdom mother who was killed shortly after she was born. My town was bombed to make room for new training grounds. I barely escaped with my lives but most of the citizens, including my parents perished. I’ve been raising my little brother ever since then,” Nori finished explaining, a small tear falling down her face.

I raised my eyebrows, “The _Underground_ Society?”

Ishan shrugged, “We didn’t come up with the name.”

“So, would you be interested in joining us?” Aika asked, a twinge of hope in her voice.

“We could certainly use someone as skilful as you in our group,” Nori added.

I scoffed, “Flattery doesn’t work on me. What would I have to do anyways?”

“Nothing. Just work side by side with us to continue our mission to make the world a safer place for everyone,” Ishan replied.

I sat there and mulled over it for a moment. To be honest, the idea of messing with the Fire Nation wasn’t anything new to me, given my past appearances as the Black Widow. Even now, the idea didn’t really appeal to me. Part of me felt like I had no motivation to do anything, since I didn’t really know what it was that I needed to do now.

“As tempting as it sounds to mess with the Fire Nation, I’m just kind of out on my own so far. I don’t want to be following anyone else after that’s all I’ve been doing the past few years. I just need some time to figure out what it is I want, even if I’m not sure of that myself,” I finally said.

Aika nodded, “Well, if you have nowhere to go, you can stay with us for as long as you want.”

“We could always use the extra company, since there’s only the three of us,” Nori added.

“Isn’t there more of you?” I asked, referring to their society.

“There are, but we’re spread out all around the Fire Nation. It’s only us three that are here for the time being while the others are out on another mission,” Ishan replied.

I shrugged, “Fine by me. I need someplace to crash anyways.”

“While you’re here, would you mind teaching us some moves? I’ve always wanted to learn from a firebending master,” Aika pried.

“Do you know how old I was when I was declared a master?” I asked.

“Weren’t you like, thirteen?” Ishan asked.

I nodded, “Yes. And for the most part, I had to train myself harder than what most people would train others in order to better myself. Even though I did have some of the most renowned masters to teach me, for the most part I learned it on my own. If I can do that, you can do it as well. You don’t need me to teach you.”

“What’s you’re problem? Too afraid to give away your secrets?” Nori asked.

“No. I might be a master, but I’m no teacher. If you really wanted to learn, you could figure it out yourself. As they say, it’s amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it,” I replied.

“Well, you don’t really seem to have your mind on anything,” Aika pointed out.

“Perhaps you’re right. But it’s not like I have any purpose anymore. Now that I’m a traitor, I could go either way. But really, I couldn’t care less about what happens to me. Even if I’ve already received enough punishment,” I snapped.

“Come on, you’re a firebender. You’re acting like you don’t even care about anything. Where’s that drive and determination that you’re supposed to have?” Ishan pushed.

“You mean _used_ to have. Back when I was who I was, I only ever had one goal in mind but now that goal is worthless I don’t really have anything to fight for anymore,” I said, shrugging.

“You’ve just gotta get your head back in the game. Come on, fire up. I’ll even let you spar at me if you want,” Nori suggested.

I shrugged, “I’m not in a very fiery mood.”

“So, what, you’re just gonna give up on your bending?” Aika asked.

“Until I find a reason to use it. It’s not like I need it now, anyways,” I pointed out.

Ishan shook his head in disappointment, “I’ve gotta say, for someone who’s considered a prodigy amongst the Fire Nation, you’re not really living up to your name.”

“You think I care about my reputation anymore? My reputation’s already been tarnished given the fact that I’m now a traitor. I don’t have anything to prove to anyone. And I’m certainly not gonna waste my time fighting for other people’s approval when it’s meaningless now,” I rambled.

“Well, you’ve just gotta find something else to fight for. We can help you,” Aika suggested.

“No thanks. If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to show myself around,” I snapped before walking away from the trio.

I could tell that they were surprised by my revelation, but to be honest I didn’t really care if I disappointed them or not. I was a traitor now, so my title and everything else that I’d worked for was meaningless. Honestly, I felt kind of ripped off since everything I’ve worked for has just gone down the drain, but what can I say? It’s not like I can go back and change anything. I’d made my bed so now I had to lie in it, even if I didn’t want to.

I will admit that their little set up was quite nice. It wasn’t anything like I’d seen back at the Tatakai Stronghold, but it seemed to be enough for their little gang. For now, I would continue to milk their hospitality until I had enough of them before moving onto my next spot. I just had to make sure I kept a low profile, so it would seem like I wasn’t even there. It’s not like I planned on staying long, anyways.

“How long will you be staying for?” a voice suddenly asked.

My head whipped around to see Aika standing there. At that point I wasn’t too sure how I felt towards her and her little posse, but I was still going to be wary of them.

“I’m not sure. Until I can get my head back on straight. It’s not like I need to be doing anything so I’m in no rush,” I replied, shrugging.

Aika sighed, “You’re really that lost, aren’t you?”

“I’m not lost. Just… unsure of what I really want. And when I find that, I’ll let you know,” I said.

“Well, it sucks seeing someone like you being like this. I know you can get that fire and determination back if you find something worth fighting for. I’ll help you, if you want me to,” Aika suggested.

I brushed her off, “No thanks. I don’t need other people’s help and I don’t care if I’m disappointing you or any of your little stooges. I’ve been doing that a lot recently anyways, so I don’t care if you’re disappointed.”

“Come on, just find whatever it is that you need to find to get your firebending mojo back. It sucks seeing talent like yours go to waste,” Aika said.

I raised my eyebrows, “Firebending mojo?”

“You know, your drive and determination. The fiery passion that us firebenders have. You have to have it somewhere,” Aika explained.

“I’m sure I have mine somewhere and when I find it, I’ll let you know so you can stop worrying about me,” I snapped.

“Alright, alright. No need to snap. We’ll be having lunch soon if you want to join us,” Aika said before leaving me alone once again.

This should be interesting.

~*•°•*~

In all honesty, I’d forgotten what it was like to act normally around other people without constantly being on alert. I’d always had trouble believing in what people said and always took their words like a grain of salt. To me, actions always overruled a person’s words and I wouldn’t believe what they said unless they backed it up with what they did. I guess that was always something that Daisuke had instilled in me, another way for him to seamlessly control me. Looking back, I felt ashamed that I’d allowed that man to have as much control over me as he did. At least now I didn’t have to live up to his expectations and I could be my own person.

Being around Aika, Ishan and Nori was certainly different than being around any other company that I’d experienced. I could tell that they were somewhat wary of me, just like I was of them. But they trusted me for whatever reason, probably because I was a traitor. I honestly wasn’t too sure if it was smart of them to trust me, since I was still trying to figure out where I stood in this world.

 

Lunch had been an awkward affair, to say the least. I didn’t take more than my fair share of food and ate away from Aika, Ishan and Nori as they sat together while discussing their future plans in hushed voices. The old me probably would’ve done anything to find out what they were plotting, but now I couldn’t care less about what they had install for the Fire Nation. They could plan an unforeseeable coup for all I care.

Currently, I was sitting in the centre of their training ground. It was the same as any training ground that I had seen, with the appropriate necessities required. Any other time, I would’ve been getting right into it, firebending as hard as I could, but since I was still trying to find a new motivation, I wasn’t really sure what to do with myself. I wanted to practice, to get a feel of my bending, but I didn’t know how.

“I must say, this is certainly a pathetic sight,” a familiar voice said.

For a moment, I almost envisioned the voice coming from Sunshine since that’s probably something that she would say in a situation like this. But of course, standing there wasn’t Sunshine, instead it was Aika with an unimpressed look on her face.

“If all you’re going to do is mock me then I might as well just leave,” I snapped as I stood up.

“I get that you don’t care about what people think of you anymore – which is great – but you really need to snap out of this funk that you’ve put yourself in. You’re Abby, the iconic Dragoness whose power is legendary amongst the Fire Nation, yet you’re acting like a chump,” Aika berated me.

I raised my eyebrows, “Excuse me?”

“You heard me. You’re supposed to be some all-mighty champion with exceptional power, but you’re acting like a chump. I get that things might be different for you now, but you can still have that drive and determination to push yourself, just with a different purpose. Now, are you gonna stand up with your head held high and own up to who you are and find what it is that you’re missing, or are you gonna lounge around like a chump?” Aika ranted.

I stepped forward, looking at her directly in the eyes, “I’ll take the former.”

Aika groaned, “Abby, I know it must be hard for you now, having to give up everything that you’ve ever known for a life that you’ve never had to experience. You’re supposed to be this powerful firebender, but you’re certainly not acting like it. You don’t have to have the same drive and determination, but you can still have that passion for something else. You just have to find it.”

What Aika said about having the passion did strike a core with me. That’s something that I used to have and used it to fuel my bending, but now I just felt… empty. I wanted to show that I still had what I once did, but I didn’t know how.

“You don’t know what it feels like to just feel… empty on the inside. Especially when you know what should be there, but you don’t have it anymore,” I admitted.

“I can still see that fire in your eyes. Come on, you’re Abby! The iconic Dragoness who people aspired to be like! I always tried matching myself against you and failed, because I wanted to be like you. I’m sure that’s the same for hundreds of other people out there. So, I’m gonna ask you again. Are you a lousy, chump or are you the all-mighty, powerful Dragoness?” Aika said.

Every time she called me a chump, I inwardly cringed since that’s _not_ what I was. I might’ve been acting like one, but that’s not who I was. I certainly wasn’t going to let this girl tell me who I was and wasn’t.

I sighed, “The Dragoness.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Aika smirk which only irked me even more, “I’m sorry, what was that?”

“I’m the Dragoness. Firebender extraordinaire,” I said, a little louder this time.

“Louder, I don’t believe you!” Aika exclaimed.

I sighed as I declared, “I’m the Dragoness, firebender extraordinaire. I’m one of the most powerful firebenders in the world. People aspire to be like me, they _wish_ they were me.”

“There’s that cocky arrogance that makes people hate your guts!” Aika exclaimed as she grinned.

I took a few steps out as I flexed my arms and stretched my neck, “And, I’m going to show you just how powerful I am. You might wanna take a few steps back, rookie.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Aika said smugly as she stepped back.

Once Aika was a good distance away from me, I took a deep breath as I overlapped my fingers before going through my movements. I performed every advanced trick that I knew, even adding a few extra flares of my own just to impress Aika. That familiar feeling of passion pounded inside of me as I went through my movements, attempting to display my power and ferocity.

When I was done, all I could do was look down at my hands in shock, hardly believing what had just come from my fists. It was silent as Aika just stood there, while I felt my jaw twitching in anger, frustration and above all, confusion.

What in the name of Agni had just happened?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooooh I left you guys on a cliff-hanger hehehe I’m so evil. Not as evil as Hama though. When I looked up where Hama’s village was, it was a bit further away from the Fire Nation Capital but lets just say that on this full moon in particular, she decided to search for a much more desirable puppet to add to her collection. I realise that Abby was probably a bit OOC compared to what you’ve seen from her so far, but she’s just turned traitor, she was almost killed by some crazy bloodbender and now she’s trying to find out where she fits in the world on her own, so she has every right to be confused.   
> Now for some translations, Aika is a Japanese name meaning love song, Nori is a Japanese name meaning ceremony and Ishan is an Indian name meaning sun.


	40. Quest For Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We’re in the forties now! When I first started writing this story, I didn’t think that I’d make it past the first season, let alone to chapter forty. I’ll be honest and say that I haven’t written anything for this story in almost three months since I already had a few extra chapters saved up, but I missed this story, so I wanted to get back to writing it before my procrastination got the better of me. Although now I don’t have any future chapters written for this story, so I’ll just be writing as I go. Just like the last chapter, this one takes place around the time of the Library.

_Previously, on Blinding Horizon…_

_“I made you who you are!” Daisuke roared._

_“Yes, yes you did. You made me into a cold-hearted, cutthroat, deceiving, malicious, manipulative bitch! But no more. I’m wiping the slate clean and finding out what and who I’m supposed to be. This chapter of my life is over, and the next chapter of my life starts now,” I declared._

_*:_ _･_ _✧_ _*:_ _･ﾟ_ _✧_

_I looked to Iroh with a small smile. I’d only met Iroh a few times and he was definitely one of a kind. I looked up to him in a way. His firebending was legendary, even more so than his brother, Fire Lord Ozai. He’d killed the last remaining dragon and that in itself was impressive. Despite his failure at Ba Sing Se, he was still a living legend that I aspired to be like._

_*:_ _･_ _✧_ _*:_ _･ﾟ_ _✧_

_“Don’t you feel lonely?” Xia asked._

_“Not really. I don’t really think about it. Instead, I put more focus onto my firebending. That’s why my bending is as good as it is. I take out all of my emotions on my bending. That’s what firebenders do, we use our emotions to drive it,” I answered._

_*:_ _･_ _✧_ _*:_ _･ﾟ_ _✧_

_That’s all they would say, just simple, one worded sentences that were the opposite of how I saw myself and I had to keep on telling myself that I wasn’t what they were saying I was. I was not a failure, I was a success. I was not weak, I was strong. I was not vile, I was reasonably virtuous. I was not psychotic, I was impeccably sane. I was not spoilt, I received everything that I deserved. I was not undeserving, I was just as deserving as anyone else. I was not imperfect. In fact, I was the exact opposite. Perfect, just what I wanted to be and just what I was. Nobody, not even these nagging voices in my head could convince me otherwise._

_*:_ _･_ _✧_ _*:_ _･ﾟ_ _✧_

_Once Aika was a good distance away from me, I took a deep breath as I overlapped my fingers before going through my movements. I performed every advanced trick that I knew, even adding a few extra flares of my own just to impress Aika. That familiar feeling of passion pounded inside of me as I went through my movements, attempting to display my power and ferocity._

_When I was done, all I could do was look down at my hands in shock, hardly believing what had just come from my fists. It was silent as Aika just stood there, while I felt my jaw twitching in anger, frustration and above all, confusion._

_What in the name of Agni had just happened?_

_*:_ _･_ _✧_ _*:_ _･ﾟ_ _✧_

I stared at my hands in shock, still struggling to register what had just happened. There was nothing but silence in the air after my display and justified too after what I had just done. My mind was racing as I finally registered what I had just done. It was unlike anything that I had ever done, not like the fierce burst of fire like I normally produced. It was practically… nothing. Which I didn’t understand at all.

“What. In. The. Name. Of. Agni. Was. That?” I asked in a deathly soft voice as I stared at my hands in horror.

“I think that’s what you call a fire fart,” Aika stated.

“No. No. No. No. No. No. No!” I repeated furiously, scrunching my fists up in horror. This can’t be happening. That did not just happen. It was a fluke, yeah that’s right. A fluke.

“Do you need any… help?” Aika asked hesitantly.

“NO!” I roared.

With every strength that I had, I did several quick firebending forms hoping to produce something like I normally did, only to get the same result. Nothing. Only the smallest ball of fire that would hardly even qualify as firebending. It was practically nothing. And humiliating. This _wasn’t_ supposed to happen. Why was this happening?

“That can’t be right. This _has_ to be some sort of mistake. Alright, Abby. Just breathe in the energy and let it become fire!” I recited what I had always knew. “What!”

Once again, only the smallest amount of firebending came out from my limbs. This was unlike anything that I had ever done, let alone seen before. I was confused, angry, frustrated and any other emotion related to those.

“What is wrong with me?” I roared, genuinely stumped.

“Well…” Aika started.

I waved my finger at her, “On second thought, don’t answer that question.”

“You asked it,” Aika pointed out.

“Don’t use my words against me! Besides, we have something more important to worry about. What I just did was _not_ supposed to happen. That is _not_ how firebending should be. This has to be some sort of mistake…” I rambled.

“Abby, think rationally about this. Something is obviously wrong and there could be several reasons for that,” Aika reasoned.

“Like what?” I snapped.

“Um… Maybe it’s the canopy?” Aika suggested.

“Yeah, could be,” I replied as I shifted my feet nervously, hoping more than anything that Aika was right when in reality, her idea seemed a little far-fetched.

~*•°•*~

After that, we’d moved to a more open space where the environment factors wouldn’t play a part in my bending. As soon as we got there, I readied myself for my attack before unleashing my inner fury in the hopes of getting my spark back. Much to my displeasure and quite frankly, anger, the same thing happened again. This time, my frustration was beginning to reach its peak as I continuously went through my movements, only to get the same result each time.

“What the fuck is happening!” I shrieked as I unleashed yet another pathetic display of my firebending.

Aika perked up, “That one felt pretty powerful.”

“Stop patronising me! You know that’s not what its supposed to be like!” I snapped angrily.

“Alright, alright. Sorry,” Aika apologised.

I groaned as I flopped onto the ground and buried my face into my knees, too ashamed to face the reality as it dawned on me. This was without a doubt the most humiliating moment of my life. Even more humiliating than the time I messed up the Fire Nation oath in front of Daisuke. He had not been happy then but looking back now its safe to laugh at it. Only this situation wasn’t one to be laughed at.

“This just doesn’t make any sense. We’ve been here for almost an hour and I’ve recited pretty much every firebending move I know only to get the same result!” I shrieked.

“I know this probably isn’t the advice you want to hear, but why don’t we just go back to the others and see if they can think of anything,” Aika suggested.

I hung my head down in shame, “Fine. I doubt it’s going to be any help, though.”

~*•°•*~

Within a few minutes, we made it back to their main house and Aika went ahead which left me straggling behind. I didn’t want to have to face the others with my current predicament, since it was laughable at my expense. This was humiliating. I was supposed to be this almighty-powerful firebender, and now I could hardly muster out anything to even _qualify_ as firebending. Something was seriously wrong since this had _never_ happened before and I was struggling to understand it. But what baffled me the most was why now? Why now when I need to rely on my bending the most does it desert me? The more I tried to figure out what was wrong, the angrier I got. This was some petty irony going on right now.

Once I reached the door, I angrily slammed it open as I stormed inside which seemed to catch the attention of the others. Aika had a look on her face that said ‘I told you so’ while Ishan and Nori glanced nervously at me.

“It’s official,” I yelled as I slammed the door shut behind me. “My life is one big fucking show of irony.”

Nori raised her eyebrows, “What do you mean?”

By that point, I could feel the rage building up inside of me to the point where I couldn’t suppress it anymore and went on a fury-fuelled rampage. “Why is it that _now_ when I finally start to forge my own path and do what it is I want that the one thing that I only ever really cared about just disappears? Why is it even happening? This doesn’t make any fucking sense! There’s so much I want to know, so much I need to know, and I can’t even practice it! The universe clearly has it out for me. This is probably my daily serve of karma. Well, I’ve had enough now so can I have it back?”

“What are you talking about?” Ishan asked cautiously, almost as if he was afraid to say anything that might set me off.

“It just doesn’t make any sense! Why is this happening? Why can’t I… Ugh! I can’t even say it!” I seethed.

“Aika, explain please,” Nori prodded.

“Her firebendings gone,” Aika stated.

Ishan jerked backwards, “Gone? What do you mean _gone_?”

“Whenever she tries to firebend, she can’t even get out something that would qualify as a beginner’s form of firebending. It’s more like a fire fart,” Aika explained.

I cringed, “It’s pathetic. Never before have I ever seen such a pathetic form of firebending. It’s a disgrace to the sacred art of bending.”

“I don’t understand what you mean,” Ishan admitted.

I rolled my eyes, “Of course you don’t. Because you wouldn’t have experienced it before! It’s shameful. I don’t even want to think about it.”

“It can’t be that bad,” Nori said.

“Trust me, it’s pretty pathetic,” Aika reassured.

“Something’s obviously going on here and I’d like to know what!” I shrieked as I picked up some random object and threw it against the wall to express my anger.

“Was that really necessary?” Nori asked.

“Well I have to take my anger out on _something_ and I can’t really do that on my bending now, can I?” I shot back sarcastically.

“I’m sure that you’re just in some sort of slump,” Ishan suggested.

“A slump? You think this is normal? Because it’s not! Firebending is _not_ supposed to be like this!” I exclaimed as I unleashed the largest amount of firebending that I could muster, which was practically nothing.

“Wow. That’s uh… Really bad,” Ishan admitted.

I rolled my eyes, “It’s not just bad, it’s awful! This should not be happening. That hardly even qualifies as firebending! My firebendings always been better than everyone else’s. I thrived on being better than everyone else. That pathetic attempt at firebending wouldn’t even surpass a toddlers!”

“Calm down, Abby. So, you’ve lost your firebending. Big deal,” Nori said.

I glared at her, “That’s easy for you to say, you’ve never been good at anything before!”

“Gee, thanks,” Nori scoffed.

I sighed as I slumped against the wall, “I shouldn’t have said that. It’s just that, my bending has always been what’s defined me. They don’t call me the Dragoness for nothing! It’s a part of who I am. Without it I have nothing! What else am I supposed to be without my bending?”

“Aren’t you good at sword fighting?” Aika asked.

“Like a sword is gonna compare to my bending. Sure, it’s fun to play with but it’s never made me feel the way my bending does. Nothing could ever make me feel that way,” I admitted.

“What’s so special about your bending?” Ishan questioned.

“It just does something to me. I feel like I’m in a different place when I bend. It’s hard to explain, but I always felt like my bending was an escape for me,” I answered.

Aika nodded, “I understand. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost my bending.”

“I don’t want sympathy! I want answers!” I yelled.

“Well, there’s not really much we can help you with. None of us are firebending experts. We can’t even compare to you,” Nori reasoned.

“So, my bending is gonna be like this forever then?” I asked dejectedly.

“Don’t talk like that. There’s gotta be some logical explanation as to why this is happening,” Ishan said.

“Like what?” I snapped.

“Well, something’s obviously changed for you to be bending like that cause like you said, it’s not normal. So, what feels different?” Ishan asked.

I shrugged, “I don’t know. When I firebended before I was easily able to just let the energy flow through my body while using my anger as the catalyst.” My eyes widened as the realisation dawned on me, “Only now I don’t feel… anything.”

“What do you mean you don’t feel anything?” Nori asked.

“It just feels different than how it used to before. That same feeling that I used to always have just isn’t there anymore. Maybe that’s why this is happening,” I elaborated.

“I think you’re getting onto something. You said before that you don’t have the drive to do what you used to anymore. That’s part of the key fundamentals of firebending. So, maybe you’re in this slump because you have no feelings for anything anymore,” Aika suggested.

I thought for a moment, “That actually doesn’t sound like a ridiculous theory. But it still doesn’t make any sense. I mean, firebending hasn’t always been fuelled the way it is now. When the militaristic views came into place, everyone would’ve had to have changed the way they performed it.”

“But then again, wouldn’t what you have learned be all you know? People have always been adaptable. Maybe your firebending comes from anger and hatred, and you just don’t have enough to fuel it the way you used to,” Ishan suggested.

“Well, I’m feeling pretty angry right about now,” I muttered.

“But it’s not the same, isn’t it?” Nori asked.

I sighed, “You’re right. It isn’t. But what can I do to fix it? My firebending can’t stay like this forever.”

“Instead of relying on anger and hatred, you need to find something else to fuel your firebending. But I doubt it’s going to be as simple as that,” Aika said.

“My life’s never been simple,” I stated.

“Why don’t you try looking into the origins of firebending? There’s bound to be something in there that could help you,” Nori suggested.

“In case you’ve forgotten, I’m now a wanted criminal by the Fire Nation. I can’t just waltz into any library and look up the origins of firebending. Then I’d actually need my bending, which I don’t really have anymore,” I snapped.

“What about the dragons? Weren’t they the original firebenders?” Ishan asked.

I rolled my eyes, “Oh yeah, I’ll just go to the nearest dragon store and find myself a dragon to teach me cause that’s totally how it works. And in case you’ve forgotten this as well, the dragons are extinct! No thanks to a certain Fire Lord.”

“Oh, right,” Ishan muttered.

“But the first people to learn from the dragons were the ancient Sun Warriors,” I said.

“Aren’t they also extinct?” Aika asked.

“That’s what people think. But it could be worthwhile to look through their ruins to see if there could be anything useful for me,” I suggested.

“Do you even know where they lived?” Ishan questioned.

“Not too far from here, actually. It would only take a few days to get there from where we are now,” I answered.

“So, what are you going to do?” Aika asked.

I sighed as I turned to look out the window and into the distance, “I’m going to find the Ancient Sun Warriors civilisation to see if I can learn anything that can help me.”

“How helpful could it be if they’re extinct?” Ishan inquired.

“Well, I have two choices. I can either go to the Sun Wars civilisation and try to fix this or I can kiss my firebending goodbye,” I said.

In that moment, my mind was made up and I knew what I had to do. I had to leave now so I could find the answers I wanted and needed, otherwise I would’ve sacrificed everything I had for nothing.

~*•°•*~

Since I had no time to waste, I was quick to leave Aika, Ishan and Nori behind because this was something I needed to do on my own. They had given me plenty of supplies that would last me for some time and kept their offer about joining their little society available. In all honesty, I still didn’t know what I wanted to do once I got what I wanted because this was still all new to me. There was still so much that I needed to do and experience, so I could find out just who and what I’m supposed to be.

My journey to the Sun Warriors civilisation was fairly quick, since I didn’t plan on making too many pit stops to waste my time. I just wanted to get there as quickly as I could, so I could find what I need and go. From there I’d just go wherever I wanted to go to, which I still didn’t know. It was strange for me to trek through the Fire Nation this time around, since it was just like it was for me in the Earth Kingdom. I was trying to stay hidden while also blending in, so I wouldn’t be called out. It’s ironic, since that was the one thing I hated the most about travelling in the Earth Kingdom, yet it’s followed me back to the one place where I never thought I’d feel like this. I’ve been feeling a lot of irony lately. It’s something that I’ve unfortunately grown accustomed to.

Finally, after four, long days of travelling I reached the ancient Sun Warriors civilisation. By the time I arrived, I was completely exhausted, but I couldn’t rest now, especially when I’d only just got here. There was this large mountain that lead to the civilisation, which was a pain in the butt getting up. When I finally reached the entrance of the city, I was left completely awestruck. Despite being centuries old and most of its buildings looking old and dishevelled, it was truly something to behold and unlike anything that I had seen before.

“Whoa,” I breathed out.

Once my initial reaction subsided, I made my way into the city, so I could hopefully find what I came looking for: answers. As I ventured through the old ruins, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of familiarity as I examined the rusty old architecture. My eyes widened when I realised where the familiarity came from. These buildings reminded me of what was the Fire Sages temple at Crescent Island. The more I made my way into the city, the more I realised that I really had no idea where I was going. There didn’t seem to be any obvious help around and I was just hoping that my trip here hadn’t been a waste of time. I needed to find answers, and this seemed like the most promising place to find them.

What struck me the most about the ancient city was how intact some of the buildings appeared to be. Even though they must have been abandoned for centuries by now, they were still in pretty good condition. Then I remembered that the Sun Warriors were renowned for their innovative thinking in most aspects of everyday life. I couldn’t help but wonder what it must’ve been like to live here all those years ago, back when the city would’ve been a flourishing metropolis with hundreds of dragons flying around. My heart felt heavy as I thought about the dragons, especially when my eyes laid on the broken statues of their likeness. Growing up, I always wanted a dragon even though I knew they were extinct. I even made up a list of names of what I’d call it. Dragons had always fascinated me, since I just felt drawn to them in an unusual way. It was hard to explain.

After walking around the city for a few minutes, I ended up getting caught down an alleyway that seemed to go nowhere. I still hadn’t found anything that I thought would be helpful for me, so I didn’t have time to get stuck like this.

“This place is like a maze,” I muttered.

When I turned around to walk away, I felt something stuck on my foot that made it almost impossible to move. Not even bothering to look at what I’d just stood in, I forcefully yanked my foot off the ground to find this icky blue substance stuck to it. For a moment, I was perplexed as to what I’d just stood in but that feeling soon turned to one of urgency when I heard the slightest rustling noise from the walls that sounded like some sort of machinery before I heard the sound of something being fired from beside me. Thinking quickly, I yanked out my sword and swung it around, just as all sorts of sharp objects came flying at me. Luckily, I was barely able to dodge the flying projectiles before landing flat on the ground with my heart racing out of my chest. Only once I was certain I was in the clear did I try standing up.

“Well that was unexpected,” I whispered as I glanced around.

That was just another reminder as to why you should never let your guard down, since I didn’t feel like I was going to get dozens of sharp weapons flung at me down here. But what surprised me the most was why _here_ of all places. It seemed like an unusual place to keep a booby trap, but then I started thinking that there must’ve been something hidden nearby. Why else would there be a booby trap in a place where nobody would think twice about going? Now the question was _what_ were they hiding.

For a moment I glanced at the wall that was at the end of the alleyway. Something just seemed off about it. Carefully, I made my way towards the wall while keeping my eyes and ears open for anymore surprise booby traps. Once I was at the wall, I gently tapped against it with my eyes widening as I did so. The reason for that was that the noise that came from the wall was _hollow_. Walls don’t usually make hollow noises, so there had to be something behind this one. My next objective was to find a way to get in there.

“Think, Abby. Think,” I muttered as an idea popped into my head. “It’s worth a shot.”

I was quick to press my hands against all of the bricks on the wall, hoping to find some sort of entry to whatever might be behind it. As I looked at the bottom of the wall, I saw the slightest opening at the bottom that was hidden behind some moss. I quickly brushed the moss away to reveal a small gap that still seemed to be big enough for something small to fit through. I pulled out my sword and jammed it through the gap, quickly moving it around so I could hopefully find an opening. When my sword reached the far end of the wall, I felt another space on the side where something was sticking out from.

“Come on, come on,” I murmured urgently.

Suddenly, there was the slightest jerked noise which caused the wall to rumble and shake violently. I quickly yanked my sword out and put it back in my pocket and opened my mouth wide in surprise when the wall fully opened up. Behind it was practically pitch-black, so I had to be careful walking inside.

“Now, let’s see what’s in HERE!” I screamed out that last word as I stepped forward, only to slip down this massive slide that left me screaming at the top of my lungs. Normally, I wasn’t a screamer but in this scenario, it seemed perfectly justifiable to me.

Eventually, I landed on the ground with a loud thump as I did so. My head felt funny as I regained my bearings while I wondered where on earth I’d ended up. Slowly, I lifted my head up to see my surroundings, only to come face to face with a ginormous head staring right at me. Instinctively, I pulled out my sword as I backed up against the entrance and pointed it at the head staring right at me, before I breathed out a sigh of relief as I realised what it was.

“It’s okay. Just a statue,” I whispered as I added, “a very realistic looking statue.”

Steadily, I forced myself to stand up, so I could get a better view at what I’d just stumbled into. There seemed to be a lot of extra stuff in the room that I couldn’t quite see due to the darkness, but I solved that problem by taking out one of the torches from their holdings that were right above the entrance. With the torch in hand, I carefully made my way around the room, hoping to find anything that would be able to help me. To me, all of these belongings just seemed like worthless antiques, but they had to mean something since they were kept hidden like this. At one point, I came across this mural on one of the walls that displayed numerous sequences of a man performing these captivating moves. There seemed to be some writing at the bottom covered by dust, so I just blew it away to see what it was.

“The oldest form of firebending there is: the Dancing Dragon,” I read as I scoffed. “Some name.”

Above the mural, there was this blank section that just captivated my attention. Carefully, I lifted up the torch to get a better view and my eyes widened as the words revealed themselves.

“When the dragons gave fire to man, they gave him the prophecy of the Gem of Fire. The Gem would hold the elements of the world inside while possessing only one on the outside. Together it will unite the forces, so the universe may see that we’re all one as we can be,” I read.

Alright, that made no sense whatsoever. First of all, I’d never heard of the Gem of Fire before so that was definitely new to me. But the words were written so obscurely that it was hard to decipher what they really meant. For all I knew, it could be anything. This was probably what they were trying to hide. Only now I’d just discovered it for myself and was probably the first outsider to ever see it. I had to admit, that gave me a twinge of satisfactory.

“This isn’t helpful,” I muttered frustratingly.

It was true, all of this was only leading to more questions than answers. And I could only focus on one thing at a time. This strange prophecy would have to wait, since I had more important things to worry about. After I looked around some more, I decided that my unexpected trip down here had been a complete waste of time. It had provided nothing that could be helpful to me, so I was back to square one.

“Now I have to figure out a way to get out of here,” I mumbled as I glanced around to find any escape route.

There was no way I could just climb up the slide since I’d only just end up back down here. I groaned as I realised that I could potentially be stuck down here with no way out. This wasn’t what I planned on happening. I’d just waltzed into more trouble than I bargained for. Just another day in the life of Abby. Like it couldn’t get more complicated than it already was. The universe has been proving me wrong a lot lately.

I’d truly gotten myself into a tight hole, since I now had no idea how to get out of here. I couldn’t just stay stuck here. I had to get out. There was no way I was going to rot away down here, even if it’s what I deserved. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw the faintest bit of light that wasn’t coming from any of the torches. As I looked closer, I caught the sight of these small bars that were letting the light come through. All I had to do was figure out a way to get out there. Easier said than done.

“Come on, universe. Throw me a bone here,” I muttered as I stepped forward.

That’s exactly what it did, in the least desirable way possible. Before I even knew what was happening, my entire world was literally turned upside down. And when I say literally, I mean _literally_. My arms were left hanging down as my body dangled in the air and swirled from side-to-side. I could literally feel my insides turning as I swayed suspended in the air. Using every bit of strength that I had, I lunged forward to see that my right foot was now securely tied by a metal chain. The Sun Warriors were renowned for their unique booby traps, and I’d literally walked right into this one.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me!” I exclaimed as my arms fell back down.

In any other situation, I would’ve been able to use my firebending to melt the chains but that required an immense amount of concentration and not to mention, _firebending_ which I was deprived from right now. Well, I might as well get comfortable cause it looked like I was gonna be here for a while.

~*•°•*~

Hours passed, and I still remained hanging in the air by the chain as I swayed around after several failed attempts to free myself. Once the light that managed to escape from the bars ceased, I assumed that night must’ve fallen which meant that I had been here for a long time now. It was extremely frustrating for me, since if I just had my firebending I’d be able to free myself but that obviously wasn’t an option. Problems just seemed to be lining up for me like dominos, one after another.

Being suspended in the air certainly wasn’t fun. In fact, it was anything _but_ fun. At first, it wasn’t that bad but once a few hours had passed, I could feel my stomach literally turning upside down as my food from earlier threatened to make an appearance, but I had to resist the urge to empty the contents of my stomach. When I get down from here, the first thing I’m going to do is relieve myself of this disgusting feeling inside of me. Only now I was starting to think _if_ I got down from here, since I highly doubted that someone would just magically show up and release me. I’d thought of every possible thing to get me down from here, but nothing worked. If I didn’t do anything, I’d be stuck up here forever, but I was running out of options. So, I was left with only one option; to scream. Maybe if I screamed loud enough they’d be able to hear me at the Capital City. Even prison was more desirable than this situation.

“Help! I’m dangling from a chain! And I’m starting to lose consciousness. This isn’t fun at all!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.

From anyone else’s perspective, this was probably a sight to be seen but for me this was anything but that. Nothing sounded more desirable than getting down from here. I’d even take being thrown into prison over being in this position.

“Who am I kidding? Nobody’s gonna hear me. I’m gonna die stuck to a chain. That’s definitely not how I thought I’d go,” I sighed. “I probably deserve this.”

If you had asked me how I thought I’d die before now, I would’ve said in some epic battle defending my nation. Only now it seemed like my death would be anything but that. I’d probably be the first person to die from being hung upside down. At least my name would go down in history, not that it already hasn’t.

“Okay, karma, or universe or whoever’s out to get me. You’ve had your fun with me. Now I’d like to get down from here,” I pleaded desperately. “Alright, here’s what I’m offering, if I get down from here alive, I will give up lying and my insensitivity. That’s pretty much me in a nutshell. Abby, the lying and insensitive bitch. But I’m willing to be Abby the honest and compassionate chick. So, what do you say?”

Silence.

“Nothing. Figures,” I muttered. “I might as well get used to this.”

Unexpectedly, there was a slight creaking noise from behind me that caught me off guard. I tried to force myself to turn around but only my back was facing the noise. I could only hope that whatever it would be good for me. There was a slight shuffling noise before a loud booming sound echoed throughout the room. As soon as the noise faded, I heard another twisting noise before the chain suddenly felt loose around my foot and I fell face-first onto the ground.

“Ow!” I yelled as I forced myself up. “A little warning next time!”

“Who goes there?” a deep voice asked from behind me.

My head snapped around to come face to face with a large man wearing warpaint on his face, a headdress and a tribal outfit. He had a menacing look on his face, but I wasn’t about to be put off by that.

“I’ve just been chained upside down for _hours_ with my only source of food being my own vomit that I had to swallow to keep it from coming back up and you have the _nerve_ to waltz in here with your fat ass and ask me who I am?” I demanded as I got up in his face.

The man glared at me, “You’re coming with me, intruder!”

He then pulled a pair of cuffs and before I could even react, he spun me around and attached them to my wrists before shoving me up the stairs that were once where the slide was. When did that happen? As he shoved me up the stairs, I couldn’t help but grimace as my words from earlier echoed through my mind. So much for compassion.

~*•°•*~

By the time I reached the top of the stairs, the man had already put a blindfold over my eyes, so I had no idea where I was going as he poked me with a stick to get me moving. It was definitely an awkward moment for me, being pushed around by some guy who was more than double my age. But I guess that’s what I’ve been doing to myself all these years anyways. Eventually, I was pushed down onto the ground, so I was in a sitting position before the blindfold was ripped off from my face.

When sight greeted me, I was face to face with the same man from before, only this time he was joined by several other people as they all stared menacingly at me. This reminded me of all those times whenever I’d get in trouble and Daisuke would just stare at me until he’d berate me for my failures. Only now I probably wasn’t going to get yelled at for my failures, only for trespassing on something that was obviously not supposed to be found.

“You have some explaining to do,” the man stated darkly.

“And if you don’t tell us what we want, we’ll happily put you back to where you were,” the man beside him added.

“What do you want to know?” I asked.

“Who are you?” the man, who I assumed was their chief because of his elaborate headdress asked.

“My name is Abby of the Fire Nation. You might know me as the Dragoness,” I replied.

“The Dragoness? What could you possibly want from our shrine?” the chief questioned.

“I didn’t come here to steal from your precious little shrine,” I defended myself.

The chief glared at me, “Then why are you here?”

I sighed, “All my life, I’ve been taught that firebending was to be fuelled by anger and hatred. Only now that I’ve seen the error of my ways and forged my own path to make my own decisions, I seem to be lacking the same power and drive that I once had.”

“You wouldn’t be the first to come to us with that problem,” the chief said.

“You’re the Sun Warriors, aren’t you?” I asked as the realisation dawned on me.

The chief nodded, “Yes, we’ve managed to keep our civilisation secret from the rest of the world for centuries. We were the first people to learn firebending from the dragons and have kept the sacred traditions alive for generations.”

“All this time, I thought that the Sun Warriors were extinct. I had no idea that your civilisation was still intact and as breathtaking as it is. It is the greatest honour of a lifetime to be in your presence. And I know that I probably don’t deserve it, but I would be honoured if you would teach me the original way of firebending. The true way,” I pleaded as I bowed down out of respect.

The chief growled, “Very well. If you are to learn from us, you must face the masters Ran and Shaw.”

I quirked my eyebrows, “Ran and Shaw? I’ve never heard of those masters before.”

“There is a reason for that, young one. They are the most powerful firebending masters you’ll ever face,” the chief stated.

“They can’t be that good if I’ve never heard of them,” I mumbled.

“There’s a reason for that, child. When you present yourselves to them, they’ll read your hearts, your souls and your ancestry. If they deem you worthy, they’ll pass the secret on to you. If not, you’ll be destroyed on the spot,” the chief explained.

Gulping nervously, I looked down to contemplate my options. I could either face these so-called masters and restore my bending while risking my own life or give up completely and have all this be for nothing. I’d already gone too far to stop now, so it was worth a shot.

“Where do we start?” I asked as I looked at the chief straight in the face. While my face might’ve looked confident, I was secretly shitting myself on the inside. It looked like I was going to need more than luck to make it through this.

~*•°•*~

The sun had started to rise by the time the chief and his followers took me to the main structure of their ruins. There was this large fire in the centre of the structure that seemed to be the main focus based on the way all of the men stared at it.

“If you are to face the masters, you must present them with a piece of the eternal flame. This fire was the first one ever given by the dragons to man. We have kept it going for thousands of years,” the chief stated proudly.

I was amazed, “That’s incredible.”

“You will take a part of the eternal flame and present it to the dragons to show you commitment to the sacred art of firebending,” the chief explained as he reached into the eternal flame and pulled some of the fire into his palm. “This ritual illustrates the essence of Sun Warrior philosophy. You must maintain a constant heat. The flame will go out if you make it too small. Make it too big, you’ll lose control.”

Briefly, I hesitated before regaining my composure and standing confidently. If I was going to face this, I had to face it head on with no hesitance. Besides, I was fairly confident that I could control a small amount of fire. I nodded at the chief before he handed me the fire and I held it in my hands, feeling its power surge through me. It was a strange feeling, unlike anything that I’d ever felt before. The fire felt different compared to the fire I once possessed. It felt… alive.

“It feels… alive,” I trailed off.

“Fire _is_ life. In the wrong hands it can lead to devastation and destruction, but with the right care it can create beauty and transformation,” the chief explained.

I stared at the small flame of fire in my hands in awe. In all honesty, I’d never thought about fire in that way before. To me, fire had always just been a weapon of mass destruction, which in a way was exactly what I was. I’d always just use my firebending as a way of intimidation and to show my superiority over others. Only now I see that displaying my power like that didn’t made me better than anyone else. I shouldn’t have had to use my pending in that way to prove that.

The chief turned to point ahead at these two mountains in the distance, “You will take the fire to the cave of the masters, which is beneath that rock. This is a journey that you must take alone, we will be waiting for you at the top.”

“I guess I’ll see you there then,” I murmured as I turned around to leave, that familiar feeling of nerves building up inside of me. I’d grown accustomed to it lately.

~*•°•*~

It took a lot longer than I thought it would to get to the cave of the masters. Daybreak had well and truly passed by the time I even reached the bottom of the mountain I was told to go to. The whole time I thought about what was going to happen once I reached the cave of the masters, and how this was going to go down. As I climbed up the mammoth mountain while concentrating on keeping my flame steady, the chief’s words from earlier echoed through my mind.

_If they deem you worthy, they’ll pass the secret on to you. If not, you’ll be destroyed on the spot._

Those words sent a wave of fear through me, and fear wasn’t something that I normally felt. What did he mean by ‘destroy?’ How would they even destroy me? Surely these masters weren’t powerful enough to destroy me on the spot without me getting the chance to defend myself? I decided that I’d worry about that later and just focus on the task at hand which was making it to this cave in one piece.

Finally, I made it to the cave of the so-called masters where the chief and the rest of his tribesmen were waiting for me. It felt somewhat intimidating being in their presence, since I could literally feel them staring at me. This was definitely one of my more awkward moments. The chief was waiting for me in the centre of the people who stood around us in a circle. I tried my best to appear confident, even though I was feeling slightly apprehensive about this whole situation.

“Facing the masters is never an easy feat for anyone. It will be difficult for you given the fact that you personify all of the negative attributes associated with firebending and are a prime example of the Fire Nations corrupted beliefs,” the chief addressed me.

A skinny man stepped forward as he smirked down at me, “You might as well turn back now while you can.”

I glared at him, “But what about my _change_ of path?”

“It shouldn’t be any real problem as long as your reasons for pursuing the masters are genuine. If not, then you really should do yourself a favour and leave now. They take no prisoners,” the chief replied.

“I’m not backing down, and I have nothing to prove to anyone. Let’s do this,” I proclaimed.

Nodding as he did so, the chief stepped forward and took a small amount of my fire from its flame before handing it to the two Sun Warriors who were standing beside him and passed it onto the other Sun Warriors that stood around us.

The chief then stretched his arms out to the side as he called out, “Chanters!”

At that order, the Sun Warriors who were sitting down began beating their drums in a synchronised rhythm while the other Sun Warriors held their fire circle in crouched positions. Several of the Sun Warriors were alternatively rising and bowing to the beat of the rhythm. Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward, so I could make my way up the large staircase that lead to the cave of the masters. Although it didn’t seem like that big of a stretch, it took me some time to reach the top of the staircase that was connected to two large caves positioned opposite to me. Unsure of what to do, I just stood in the centre as I looked down at the Sun Warriors who had stopped playing their music and their chanting. Now I just had to wait and see what happened next.

“Those who wish to face the masters Ran and Shaw must now present their fire!” a loud voice bellowed throughout the mountain.

Nervously, I bent over as I held out my hands to one of the caves while I waited for whatever was to happen next. I heard an inaudible yell from down below that was followed by a loud horn echoing throughout the mountain. The cave I was facing began to rumble, causing small rocks to become dislodged from it. Time seemed to stand still as I stood there, until I saw two glowing eyes emerge from the cave and a loud screeching noise followed by the appearance of a large reptilian creature. My eyes widened in fear as it flew out from the cave, not before I heard another screeching noise and jumped around to see the same reptilian creature emerge from the opposite cave. They circled around each other, the bridge and me in a hypnotising way that captivated my attention. Suddenly, it dawned on me as to what these creatures were. These weren’t just any creatures. They were dragons.

“Dragons,” I breathed out, completely in awe at the sight around me.

This had to be some kind of bizarre hallucination. There was no way this could be happening. Dragons were supposed to be extinct, not alive and circling me. I blinked several times, only to see the two dragons still there. That’s when I realised that this was no hallucination. This was really happening.

“I don’t believe it,” I muttered.

Part of me expected the dragons to just spring out and attack me, so I tightly gripped onto my sword just in case. They only just circled around me in a repetitive way, almost as if they were waiting for me to do something that I had no idea what was. Minutes later, they were still circling around me without doing anything that I found helpful, which was beginning to frustrate me.

“What do you want from me?” I asked.

There had to be something I was missing. They clearly weren’t judging me like the Sun Warrior chief said they would. They also hadn’t destroyed me either so who knew what was going on. It really would’ve been nice to have been told what I was supposed to do once they came out. It also would’ve been worth mentioning that their masters were _dragons_ that just circled each other in some sort of rhythmic dance. That’s when it hit me. The Dancing Dragon.

“I wonder…” I trailed off as I nervously stood on the centre of the podium and got into the first position of the Dancing Dragon.

Sure enough, when I recited the movements of the Dancing Dragon, the two dragons mimicked my movements in their own way as I circled around the podium. Finally, I reached the finishing pose as I thrust my fists forward and nervously awaited my fate. The dragons had now stopped circling me and were just hovering above the bridge as they stared at me, almost as if they were judging me. I gulped nervously as the blue dragon in front of me snarled loudly. I wasn’t sure if that was good or not. Probably not.

Suddenly, the dragons dropped down and anchored their lower legs to the bottom of the stone staircase while they gripped the top with their front legs. They simultaneously opened their mouths and I immediately ducked for cover, fully expecting a giant rush of blazing fire to burn me on the spot.

Only that’s not what happened.

When I didn’t feel the scorching hot fire against my skin, I slowly looked around me only to find myself trapped in this giant vortex of breathtaking fire. It was mixed with so many colours, colours that I never even associated with firebending. Every colour that I’d ever known was in front of me in a way I never thought possible, just like how these colours were speaking to me in a language that I never even knew I could comprehend. In that moment, I saw so many things, so many faces of people, moments of love and celebration and secrets that were all connected by one thing. Fire. Now I understood. Everything made sense to me now in a way that it never did before.

“I get it now,” I said at last.

And just like that, the fire vanished into thin air before the dragons flew high into the air before returning to their respective caves, leaving me to contemplate what had just happened. After a moment of silence, I took a deep breath as I returned to the bottom of the mountain where the Sun Warriors were waiting for me, with the fire now gone as they stood in their circle. My eyes locked with the chief’s and he nodded at me, which I returned back to him.

“That fire… It was unlike anything I had ever seen before,” I admitted once I reached the bottom of the stairs and stood in front of the tribesman. “Those colours, colours that I never even associated with firebending. Just like everything else never did. Only now it does.”

“Yes. They judged you and deemed you worthy of the secrets only so many have been blessed to know,” the chief commented.

I looked up at him, “One thing I don’t understand is that… I thought that the dragons were extinct. It was always said that the Dragon of the West faced the last dragon and killed it.”

“Technically, the Dragon of the West was the last outsider before you to face the masters. They deemed him worthy and passed the secret onto him as well,” the chief explained.

“It makes sense now. He said what he did to protect them. So that maybe one day they could be free again,” I said as I looked up towards the caves of the dragons.

“I hope that this has given you what you needed,” the chief stated.

I nodded, “It has, and more than what I ever thought I needed. All this time, I only ever saw my firebending as a weapon and a way of showing my superiority. Only now I know that’s not what it’s about. The true essence of firebending is what I never even thought it could be. It’s so much more than rage and destruction. It’s life, and energy and ironically, hope.”

“Indeed, it is,” the chief agreed.

“Now I understand why my firebending was wasn’t the same before. For so long, it was just a weapon to me and all I ever truly cared about. But when I changed sides, I lost the meaning of that spark that made my firebending what it was after I’d just given up. But now that I know the true essence of firebending, and what it is I’m supposed to do in the next chapter of my life. There is nothing more that I want than to spread the message of the error in our nations way, so that we can be the civilisation we once were and so that the world can unite together as one,” I declared.

With that, I leaped into the air while performing several spinning kicks. Unlike before when my firebending was virtually nothing, it was this powerful display off firebending that reflected the spark I now felt inside of me. It was back, and I just knew it would be there forever.

The chief’s expression then turned dark as he stared sternly at me, “Now that you have learned our secrets and you know about our tribe’s existence, I’m afraid that you must remain here forever.”

My eyes widened, “What?”

The chief’s expression softened again as he smiled and leaned forward, “Gotcha! But I mean it when I say _don’t_ tell anyone.”

I gulped as I nodded in agreement, not wanting to earn the ire of the chief with the risk of imprisonment. After that, we stood there in an awkward silence as I glanced around, unsure of what to do.

The chief coughed uncomfortably, “You should… probably go now.”

I nodded, “Yeah, I’ll just do that.”

“Good luck on your travels,” the chief called out to me as I walked away.

“Thank you, for everything,” I said as I left the area.

As I walked away from the mountain, there was nothing I could do to contain the giddy feeling of excitement that was bubbling up inside of me. Now that I had my firebending back the way it’s supposed to be, there was nothing that could stand in my way of me and what I wanted to do. But with the uncertain future ahead of me and so many things left to be discovered, I knew that I’d need more than luck to make it through them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was definitely a fun chapter to write since I always imagined how Abby’s trip to the Sun Warriors would go, since she was always going to go there after her change of heart. This is also the longest chapter that I have ever written at over 9k words and fourteen pages which is just insane. There were multiple times when I thought about splitting this chapter up, but I just wanted to get it out of the way, so I could move onto the next adventure for Abby. Also, did you guys catch the similarities to Abby’s situation in the dragon’s shrine to Sokka’s when he was stuck in the hole in Bitter Work? That episode kind of inspired that moment. It’s worth mentioning that ‘the Gem of Fire’ that Abby discovered in the Dragon’s shrine is just another little addition to the story that won’t come into play until later chapters.


	41. Haunted by the Past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italics are flashbacks/dreams and it shouldn’t be that hard to differentiate which is which. This chapter takes place sometime after the Desert, but before the Serpents Pass.

It had been a day since I had left the Sun Warriors temple, and now my options of where to go were fairly limited. There wasn’t really much that I could do now that I was practically a wanted criminal. Everyone would be on the lookout for me, since there was no doubt that I had a massive bounty on my head. Taking that into consideration, I decided that there was no point in staying in the Fire Nation anymore since there really wasn’t anything that was keeping me attached to that place. Part of me considered going back to Aika, Ishan and Nori and taking up their offer, but there was something that was tugging me in a different direction.

My decision to leave the Fire Nation behind hadn’t really been a tough one, so that made it easier to turn my back on the only place I’d ever really called home. If you had asked me a few months ago where I saw myself now, never in a million years would I have said that I would be on the run from my own country. I probably would’ve said that I’d be at the Tatakai Stronghold, living up my glory and achievements. But people change, and I certainly have changed in the past few months. I had seen more than I ever thought I would see, but it helped me open my eyes and see the errors in my ways. It’s funny, since I always hated Daisuke for sending me on that mission, yet it was probably the best thing to ever happen to me.

If I was being completely honest, there wasn’t really that much of me that was regretting my decision to betray my nation and forge my own path. For the first few days, I had reconsidered my choices before I reminded myself that I had already made my decision and that there was nothing I could do to change it. I had made my bed and now I had to lay in it even if I didn’t want to. Besides, it wasn’t that bad being a traitor. Now that I was on my own, I could make my own rules and decided what I wanted to do without worrying about the consequences of my actions. It wasn’t like I worried that much about it before, but now I wasn’t at liberty to follow the rules since I had already broken plenty with my recent actions, so it wasn’t like I had anything to loose.

Now that I had decided to leave the Fire Nation behind, my next best move was to head off to the Earth Kingdom. I figured that it would be the best place for me to go, since they weren’t really kept up to date on the Fire Nation’s affairs. Only the high-profile criminals were reported in the Earth Kingdom, and even then, they were only notified in the colonies and the more prominent cities and states. As long as I stayed clear from those places, the chances of me getting spotted and turned into the authorities were slim.

In that moment, I realised that my next challenge would be actually getting to the Earth Kingdom, which wouldn’t be easy by any means since it wasn’t like I could just hop on whatever ship I wanted. After hours of walking, I finally reached the tip of the Northern Fire Nation, where I found a small trading port that didn’t appear to be occupied by any Fire Nation officials. The area also seemed to be fairly remote, with hardly any people actually around. That made me relax more, since it meant that there was a small likelihood of me getting recognised. Deciding to try my luck, I figured that I might as well approach one of the boat owners and see if there was a way for me to get out of here.

“Excuse me?” I asked as I approached the closest ship where an old man was tending to the ships anchor.

The man turned to face me as he spoke in a scruffy voice, “Whataya want, kid?”

“Um, I was just wondering if any of these boats were heading anywhere near the Earth Kingdom?” I asked.

“You’re in luck, I’m just about headin’ off to Harbor town with my latest load,” the old man replied.

“Really? Would you mind if I… hitched a ride with you?” I asked hopefully.

The man shook his head, “I don’t give rides for free, kid.”

“I have money,” I said.

“How much money are you talking?” the man questioned as he thoughtfully rubbed his beard.

“How does fifteen gold pieces sound?” I offered as I held up a bag of money. I had taken plenty of money with me before I left the Tatakai Stronghold, and although I wanted to hold onto as much of it for as long as possible, I had nothing against spending it when necessary.

The man’s eyes widened, “I’ll take it! Hop aboard.”

I grinned as I carefully climbed onto the small boat before handing the man the money which he happily took. As I looked around, I noticed that the boat was reasonably small, probably the smallest boat that I’d ever been on. I figured that there’d be more room down below and hoped that it wouldn’t take too long to reach Harbor Town. As far as I knew, Harbor Town was located right on the edge of the Western Earth Kingdom, so a boat ride there shouldn’t take too long.

“When do we leave?” I asked.

“Just as soon as I get these slippery suckers on board. It would go a lot faster if you gave an extra hand,” the man replied.

I shrugged as I set my stuff down, “If it speeds up the process then sure.”

The man suddenly turned around as he yelled down in the direction of the deck, “Jae! Get your sorry butt up here!”

My eyes narrowed as I turned to the direction of the steps that descended down to the ships deck. Soon enough, a young guy stepped out and joined us on top of the boat. His gaze landed on me for a moment before he turned to the fisherman.

“Taro? Who’s this?” the guy – Jae – asked as he pointed at me.

“This is uh… What’s yer name?” the old man – Taro I assumed – asked me as he scratched his head.

“My name is Meg,” I replied without missing a beat.

“This is Meg,” Taro introduced me as he slapped me on the back. “She’ll be joining us on our way back.”

Jae nodded, “Well, it’s good to meet you, I guess.”

“Now let’s get these little suckers on board so we can get our sorry butts out of here,” Taro ordered.

Sharing a glance with Jae, the two of us shrugged before helping Taro get the fish on board. It’s funny that if someone had spoken to me like that a few months ago, I would’ve easily lost my cool but now I wasn’t really in any position to demand any respect. I just wanted to get out of here as quick as possible, and it didn’t take us long to get the fish on board before heading out to sea. I was finally leaving the Fire Nation behind for good, and I’ll admit that I felt a strange feeling in my chest as the islands behind me disappeared to nothing. But this was what I needed, a fresh start for my new life.

Maybe now my luck would finally start changing for the better.

~*•°•*~

_Everything was blurry, I could barely make out anything that was in front of me. Slowly, my vision became clearer and I started to make out three figures in some open area. As everything started to make sense to me, my eyes widened as I recognised the three figures in front of me. It was me, Daisuke and some other girl. What confused me was that Daisuke looked remarkably younger than he was when I last saw him before I realised that I also wasn’t the same I was now. I was nine, to be exact._

_“Do it! Do it now!” Daisuke ordered._

_Nine-year-old me faced the girl that was cowering on the ground, “B-but she’ll g-get hurt.”_

_“That’s the point, you imbecile. Now show me what you have learned!” Daisuke yelled._

_My eyes widened as I remembered what this was, and what was about to happen. This was one of the more painful memories of my childhood, and I was about to witness it once again._

_“Please don’t hurt me,” the young girl pleaded desperately._

_“Do not let her pathetic tears stop you from completing your task! If you do so the consequences for you will be far worse than they would be for her!” Daisuke hissed._

_My younger self hesitantly stepped towards the young girl, my lips trembling and my arms shaking as I did so. When I reached her, the young girl looked up at the other me with tears in her eyes as she silently pleaded with me to stop. As much as I hoped I would, I knew what was going to happen next despite how desperately I didn’t want it to._

_“Stop it! Don’t listen to him!” I yelled at my younger self, only to be ignored as she finished her advance on the young girl._

_“I’m sorry,” my younger self whispered loud enough only for the girl to hear it._

_All I could do was stand there feeling helpless as I watched nine-year-old me close her eyes before delivering a powerful fire blast against the helpless girl who cried in agony. As soon as the flames disappeared, my younger self turned to face Daisuke with her empty eyes._

_“There, I did it,” I proclaimed._

_Daisuke nodded approvingly, “And you did a good job too. You’re still too soft, but that will change in due time. Now come with me, I have some more advanced firebending moves to teach you.”_

_Younger me glanced back at the other girl, “But what about her?”_

_“She’ll be fine. Now come, we do not have much time to waste,” Daisuke ordered, and I did just that._

_Once Daisuke and my younger self had disappeared, I immediately ran over to the young girl who’s tears of pain were like a dagger through my heart. I could see the pain that my firebending had inflicted on her, with her clothes burned and a long scar left on her leg. This wasn’t right. This shouldn’t have happened. But it had, and there was nothing I could do to change that._

_“Let me help you,” I said as I hovered over her. It took me a few moments to realise that this was a dream, and that there was nothing I could do to help the girl no matter how much I wanted to._

_Suddenly, a loud scream filled the air and I turned to see a woman rushing towards the young girl with tears in her eyes. My heart dropped as I realised that this must’ve been her mother, and that not only had I unjustly hurt her daughter, but I had also devastated her mother._

_“My baby!” the mother cried as she wrapped her arms around her weeping daughter. “Who did this to you?”_

_“It h-hurts m-mommy,” the girl cried._

_“I know, sweetie. Mommy will fix it. And those monsters will never hurt you again,” her mother reassured her._

_“I’m sorry! I had no choice! I didn’t want to!” I apologised, even though I knew that I was apologising to nothing._

_Eventually, the sight in front of me disintegrated into nothing and all I could hear was the girls crying that sent shivers through my spine. That action was one of my many regrets, one of the many things that I wish I could go back and do differently, but I couldn’t no matter how badly I wanted to._

**_You’re a monster._ **

I jolted upwards, my chest frantically beating up and down as I glanced around, only to see that I was in my cabin below deck. Once I realised that, I managed to calm myself down as I reminded myself that it was only just a dream, even if it had happened before. Across the room, I could see that Jae was also asleep in his hammock and I figured that Taro was probably up on deck monitoring the boat. The three of us had come up with a three-hour rotation schedule to make sure that the boat was always being watched on top and I had already done my shift over an hour ago. We had been travelling for over a day now and the lack of sleep was beginning to take its toll.

Sleep deprivation was always a problem however you travelled, since you needed as much energy as you could get in order to function properly. But it didn’t look like I’d be getting much sleep at all at the rate I was going. Much to my surprise, it looked like I wasn’t the only one having trouble sleeping when I saw Jae begin to stir from across the room before he sat upwards.

“Can’t sleep either?” I asked.

Jae glanced tiredly at me, “Yeah. This is the worst part about travelling on a boat.”

“Well, I haven’t really done that much boat travelling before,” I said.

“Then what’s keeping you up?” Jae questioned with a yawn.

I sighed, “Nightmares.”

“Oh. Can I ask what makes your dreams so… nightmare-ish?” Jae asked as he rubbed his eyes.

“Well, you already did but whatever. Let’s just say I’ve done some things in my past that I’m not proud of, things that keep on haunting me even though I’m trying to move past it,” I replied nonchalantly.

“You’re from the Fire Nation, aren’t you?” Jae stated.

I nodded, “Yeah. That pretty much sums it up, doesn’t it?”

“I honestly wouldn’t have pegged you as the Fire Nation type,” Jae admitted.

“Aren’t you gonna call me an ash-maker or any other derogatory name?” I queried, since that was what most people referred Fire Nation citizens as.

Jae shrugged, “Why would I do that?”

“That’s how most people react when they find out I’m Fire Nation,” I said.

“Well, I’m not like most people. I was raised not to treat anyone differently because of we’re they’re from, only because of what they have in here,” Jae explained as he put his hand on his heart.

“And then there’s me, who spent the first fifteen years of her life looking down on anyone who wasn’t even a firebender, let alone Fire Nation. Yet here I am, having a civil conversation with someone who I would’ve once referred to as a dirt peasant while on my way to the one place I swore I’d never go to again,” I mused.

“I never did ask why you wanted to go to the Earth Kingdom, so why? Can’t find enough people to worship you?” Jae questioned.

I glared at him, “Hey, I already said that I’ve done some stuff that I’m not proud of. I don’t need anyone rubbing it in my face.”

Jae held up his hands in defence, “Sorry, sorry. It was a joke. Seriously, what could the Earth Kingdom have that the Fire Nation doesn’t? Your people always made us look like a joke.”

“I don’t really have anything tying me to the Fire Nation anymore. I’ve lived a pretty sheltered life and I haven’t really had room to question what I’ve been taught, as you would imagine. But lately I’ve realised the errors in my ways, so now I need a fresh start. A new beginning,” I explained.

Jae raised an eyebrow, “And you think the Earth Kingdom will give you that?”

“I’m willing to try anything at this stage. All I know is that I can’t stay in the Fire Nation with this dark cloud looming over my head. I just want to make a new name for myself without anything holding me back,” I proclaimed.

“What do you plan to do once we reach Harbor Town?” Jae asked.

I shrugged, “I’m not really sure, to be honest. I don’t really have anywhere to go, so I’ll probably just go from the next town to the next one until I find what I’m looking for.”

“Well, if you want, you could come with me to my village. It isn’t too far from Harbor Town,” Jae offered.

I raised an eyebrow, “Why would you offer me something like that? Didn’t your parents always tell you to never trust someone from the Fire Nation? Besides, don’t you have to help Old Man Scruffy with his loads?”

“Normally I wouldn’t offer anyone anything, but for someone who’s Fire Nation you don’t really seem like any Fire Nation citizen I’ve met before which is a good thing. And I only ever help Taro with his shipments when he goes beyond the Earth Kingdom, since his wife usually helps him with the fishing. She just doesn’t like going on the long trips,” Jae explained.

“I still don’t get why you would offer me something like that when we’ve only just met,” I said warily.

Jae gave me a small smile, “Hey, I’m just trying to be nice here. My mother always told me to help people who might need it, and you certainly look like you need it.”

“Momma’s boy,” I teased him.

“That, I am. But it’s also common decency,” Jae pointed out.

“What makes you think I deserve common decency? You barely know me, so you have no idea about what I’ve done. If you did, you’d want nothing to do with me. In fact, you’d probably throw me off this fucking boat cause of all the shit I’ve done,” I retorted.

“You can’t be that bad,” Jae said.

“If only you knew,” I muttered darkly.

Jae sighed, “Look, you’ve clearly got your own stuff to deal with, so I won’t push on the topic anymore. I’ll let you think about my offer for the time being, because it still stands. Goodnight.”

“Night,” I murmured as I laid back into my hammock, hoping to get a decent sleep before I woke up next. Though, I wasn’t feeling to good about the chances of that happening.

~*•°•*~

After another three sleepless and turbulent nights and four tiring days through the rocky waters of the Mo Ce Sea, we finally reached the small fishing port that was Harbor Town. Altogether, the journey had taken over five days to get there and I had never been more relieved to get off anything than I was to get off that Agni forsaken boat. One thing that I realised was that I really wasn’t a fan of boats, since there was hardly any room to do anything and hardly any personal space.

When we arrived at the fishing docks, we were greeted by an elderly woman who I assumed was Taro’s wife based on the way she embraced him. Jae and I had started unpacking the fish while the pair embraced each other.

“It is so good to see you!” the woman exclaimed.

Taro brushed her away, “I was only gone for two weeks and look at me, back in one piece. Told ya you had nothin’ to worry about.”

The woman huffed, “You can’t blame me for worryin’ bout your sorry butt after that time you almost died!”

“Well, I didn’t die,” Taro argued.

“You would’ve if it wasn’t for the Avatar,” the woman stated.

I snapped my head towards them, “The Avatar?”

Taro’s wife glanced up at me curiously, “Who the heck is she?”

“That’s Meg. I picked her up on the way back. She gave me fifteen gold pieces for a ride here!” Taro explained.

“You never mentioned anything about meeting the Avatar,” I drawled, wanting to get to the bottom of this story.

Taro’s wife scoffed, “Of course he wouldn’t after how he acted towards that boy. It was a few months ago, right after the Avatar had returned. He had come to this very harbor looking for supplies and my moronic husband belittled that poor boy for disappearing causing him to run off. Taro being the _great_ captain he is then managed to get caught out at sea in the middle of a bad storm and he would’ve died if the Avatar and his friend hadn’t gone out to save him! I’m not sure if I would’ve done the same if I was the Avatar after what you said to him.”

“Well, it all worked out in the end. Now help me get these fish off this piece of junk,” Taro said.

“You really should get a new boat. This one’s even worse than the last!” Taro’s wife commented as she joined her husband on the boat.

“They’re interesting…” I trailed off as I watched Taro and his wife rearrange the fish together.

Jae chuckled, “Yeah, they’ve been married for over forty years. They definitely fight like an old married couple.”

“No kidding,” I muttered.

Jae turned to face me, “Hey, so I just wanted you to know that my offer from before still stands, if you want it of course.”

“Why do you even want me to come with you?” I asked, still not sure why Jae would even want to be around me after he knew that I was Fire Nation.

Jae shrugged, “I could always use an extra set of hands around my farm. You certainly seem like a hard worker.”

“I am...” I trailed off as I glanced towards the sea.

If I was being completely honest, I was seriously considering Jae’s offer. It wasn’t like I really had any plans on what I was going to do next now that I was actually in the Earth Kingdom. Before I even got here that was just my plan, to get here in one piece, but now that stage was completed I had no idea what I was going to do next. It felt strange being back on Earth Kingdom soil, since the last time I was here this was the last place I wanted to be but now it was my only option and I actually wanted to be here.

For a moment I considered my options, since it wasn’t really like I had any. Part of me wanted to stay with Jae, because I figured that I wouldn’t meet too many that wouldn’t care about where I had come from. But then there was the part of me that wanted to go solo, since I was out to find out who I’m truly meant to be, and I didn’t think tagging along with some guy I barely knew would help me there. Once I had weighed up my options and all of the potential possibilities, I made a split-second decision that even then I wasn’t really sure of.

“Okay, I’ll go with you,” I conceded.

Jae gave me a surprised look, “Really? I didn’t think that you would want to come.”

I shrugged, “It’s not like I have anywhere else to go.”

“I hope you don’t mind hard work than,” Jae said.

“Please, I’ve been working hard since I was practically a child. I’m not like any of those prissy Fire Nation nobles who’ve never lifted a finger in their entire life,” I proclaimed.

Jae nodded, “Then let’s go. It’s not that far a walk.”

As I followed Jae out of Harbor Town, I couldn’t help but wonder what exactly I had just gotten myself into. There were a dozen questions wondering through my mind, about Jae, about everything in general. I just figured that I’d deal with those questions as they came to me, since that was what I had been doing a lot recently.

~*•°•*~

Eventually, I made it to Jae’s village which true to his word, wasn’t that far away from Harbor Town. It wasn’t that big, or that small. There seemed to be a lot of tradesmen hustling around and there were dozens of markets. It reminded me of the set up back in Dhatri and Xia’s village. When my mind drifted to them, I couldn’t help but wonder where they had ended up and how they were doing. For their sake, I hoped that they had found a good place to set themselves up and that maybe even Osamu could find them, so they could be a family. I glanced down at the necklace around my neck, which was the one Xia had given to me when I left her. It was one of the few things that I had taken with me when I left, and I didn’t intend on forgetting it like I had promised.

“What do you think?” Jae asked as we strolled around.

“It seems very… hectic,” I observed.

Jae laughed, “Yeah, it’s market day so people are trying to sell as much of their stuff as possible. This happens once a week, so it always gets busy since people from other villages try to come and trade their stuff for cheaper prices.”

“Smart businessmen,” I commented. “So, where exactly is this _farm_ of yours?”

“A few blocks down. My uncle actually owns it, so I go down to help him whenever I can, and he usually pays me for my work. It’s actually one of the bigger pieces of land, so there’s always something to do,” Jae replied.

“What do you normally do?” I questioned.

“I usually plant the crops and keep the place in good condition. It makes good money,” Jae answered.

“What about your parents?” I queried.

Jae sighed as he stopped in his tracks, “My father has been fighting in the war for the past five years. My mother was taken by the Fire Nation shortly after he left. I haven’t seen either of them since.”

“Oh. Well, if it makes you feel any better, my parents abandoned me when I was five-years-old. I’m sure your parents at least miss you. Mine left me without a second thought. They probably knew that I’d turn into such a monster and didn’t want anything to do with me. Can’t say I blame them for that,” I said bitterly.

“I’m sure they had a good reason for leaving you. No parent would just leave their child behind for no reason at all,” Jae reasoned.

I scoffed, “What reason could they have possibly had besides the fact that I was a firebender and they wanted nothing to do with me?”

“I can’t really answer that question,” Jae admitted.

“Because there is no other answer,” I muttered bitterly.

“Let’s just keep moving on,” Jae suggested.

Sighing, I followed Jae as I glanced around the village and took in my surroundings. This certainly wasn’t the place that I expected myself to end up in, but even my own actions had surprised me lately. It was hard looking around as I noticed the poverty that struck the village, since it was obviously a result of the devastation brought on by the war. For the longest time, I had been in denial about how badly the world had been affected by the war since I had tried to convince myself that it was what’s best, when all it’s really brought is unnecessary pain and suffering for those who didn’t deserve it.

There had been plenty of times when I had been at the forefront of that pain and suffering, which was just another addition to my already lengthy list of regrets. I’m not one to dwell on the past, but if I had the option of going back and changing everything I ever did, I’d take it in a heartbeat. Maybe then I wouldn’t have turned out as messed up as am. Even now I’m nowhere near where I should be, and it’s all because of the fucked-up shit that I’ve done. But I guess I could’ve changed things even years ago when I knew that there was something wrong with what I was doing, just like I always did. I just never had the guts to admit that.

_It was roughly five years ago, and I was eleven at the time. Daisuke had taken me on one of his many expeditions to help my experience grow, since at that point in time my firebending and overall training had improved remarkably. He no longer looked down at me with disdain, instead it was with satisfaction and even the rare pride at times._

_“Where are we going?” I asked curiously as Daisuke lead us to our destination._

_“We are going to the Sagyo Factory,” Daisuke replied._

_“Why?” I questioned, since the Sagyo Factory was where most of the Fire Nation’s fine items were made and I didn’t see how this applied to me._

_“Because it’s important for you to learn about our country’s trading places and how things are made. You should consider yourself lucky to be here, since not many people get to see the inner-mechanisms of their country,” Daisuke answered._

_I nodded, understanding it now. As we entered the factory, I was quick to notice the amount of people that were busy working. There hardly seemed to be enough space for everyone, and they hardly seemed to be enjoying what they were doing. As I looked closer, I noticed that their feet were chained together with some sort of weight attached to it and that was when I realised that they weren’t workers, they were prisoners._

_This wasn’t such a shocking revelation to me, since I was well aware that some prisoners were used in factories to do hard labour. There was just a part of me that felt something I wasn’t really sure of. If they were prisoners, then they deserved to be treated like that for their wrongdoings but if they weren’t, then there was definitely something wrong with that._

_“Why are they all chained up?” I queried._

_“To make sure that they can’t escape. You can’t trust prisoners to follow the rules. Especially those Earth Kingdom swine. They need to be kept in line and this is the best way to do so,” Daisuke responded._

_Now that didn’t sit well with me. Even though the rational part of my brain was seeing the sense of it, there was a part of me that thought this wasn’t the most reasonable way to handle this. Those people just looked flat out miserable, like I did whenever Daisuke made me go through my breathing exercises. It didn’t look like they were enjoying themselves, then again, who would enjoy themselves when they’re being forced to do slave work._

_“Ah, here’s what I wanted to show you,” Daisuke proclaimed as he lead me to a nearby shelf where we passed a prisoner that was busy working away. I accidently bumped into the table he was working on, causing it to collapse._

_“My apologies,” I muttered._

_The man glared at me, “Watch where you’re going, ash maker!”_

_Daisuke instantly whipped his head around and shot a deathly glare at the man, “How about you watch what you say and who to, you insolent peasant!”_

_“It’s no problem,” I reassured Daisuke, not wanting to cause any fuss._

_“On the contrary. He disrespected you, your status and our nation! I will be having words with your superior about this,” Daisuke proclaimed._

_After that, Daisuke dragged me away from the man and I couldn’t help but glance back at him as he sent a glare my way, no doubt because I had just gotten him in serious trouble. But it wasn’t like he wasn’t already in trouble since he was a prisoner. That was what I kept reminding myself as Daisuke lead me away, choosing not to worry about the misfortunes of that man, when it was probably his own fault that he was in that situation._

“Here it is!” Jae suddenly announced, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“What?” I asked as I glanced around, noticing that we were in front of some barn.

“My farm. The one you agreed to go to,” Jae replied.

I sighed, “Oh, sorry. I just got distracted, that’s all. So, who exactly owns this place?”

“Just an old family friend. He’s looked after me ever since I lost my parents. I’m sure he won’t mind some extra company, especially if they’re offering their hands,” Jae answered.

I nodded, “What do I have to do?”

“Well, we need to start ploughing the ground to make room for the crops. We usually use the Gemsbok bulls for that,” Jae explained.

“I can do that by myself,” I stated as Jae raised his eyebrows. “I’ve done farm work before.”

“Where do they have _farms_ in the Fire Nation?” Jae questioned.

“Where do you think we get our vegetables from?” I quipped.

Jae shrugged, “Good point. I’ll let you get started then if you know what to do. I just need to get my stuff ready.”

“Sure, go ahead. Do whatever it is you need to do,” I beckoned.

Once Jae had entered the barn, I glanced ahead at the ploughing machine and took off my outerwear so that I was more comfortable, not that I deserved to be comfortable in that situation. When I was ready I grabbed hold of the ploughing machine and started dragging it towards the field. In all honesty, I had done next to no farming or anything like that sort of work before, but I had seen other people do it, so I felt like I could do it myself.

**Well, well, well. Look what we have here. Isn’t this just pathetic? The almighty-powerful Dragoness doing peasant work?**

“Not you again. I thought I’d gotten rid of you,” I muttered.

**You might have gotten rid of your insanity but I’m your conscience and that’s something you can’t get rid of.**

“Well, if I can’t get rid of you could you at least shut up,” I hissed.

**No, annoying you seems like more fun. I bet you never thought you’d end up like this. Funny how things work out, huh?**

“Why do I hate myself like this?” I asked myself.

**Good question. If you didn’t hate yourself then you wouldn’t even be in this situation. You’d be living it up at some fancy estate, only you’re not. It’s not like you deserve anything more.**

I grimaced, “Just let me do my work in peace.”

**Your work? This is peasants work, which is what you have reduced yourself to. No more doing exhilarating missions to keep you occupied. Only the life of a pathetic waste to keep you busy.**

“For a conscience you’re not really reassuring,” I muttered.

**I’m not supposed to be your life coach. If you need one of those then perhaps you haven’t really sorted yourself out at all.**

“If you don’t mind, I’d appreciate you keeping your thoughts to yourself,” I snapped.

**I _am_ your thoughts.**

“Enough!” I hissed.

“Is everything alright?” I heard Jae ask from behind me.

I turned to face him, my hands covered with mud from the machine, “Yeah. Everything’s _fine_.”

“Alright, I’ll get everything together, so we can start moving things on,” Jae said.

“Sounds good,” I whispered to myself.

“You know you really don’t have to pull that by yourself. That thing weighs a lot,” Jae stated.

“What makes you think I can’t handle it? You don’t know my limits,” I snapped.

Jae said nothing at that and I simply picked up the ploughing machine before I started moving it across the ground. I could feel Jae watching me from behind, and I just knew that he was judging me. Whatever, it’s not like I have time to waste worrying about what he thinks of me. Right now, it seemed like I was my own biggest critic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, this chapter was a pain in the butt to write. There were some things that I wanted to write but I didn’t know how to and even now I’m not entirely happy with how it turned out, so I’d appreciate some feedback. In case you missed it, the guy on the boat who Abby rode with is the same guy from the Storm who upset Aang and made him run off. I decided to make Abby go to Harbour town which is it’s name on the Avatar wikia page, but I couldn’t be bothered to make up a new place, so I just used that.


	42. Inner Turmoil

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s the next chapter, which takes place the next day after the last one so it’s still in the same time-frame and Abby’s still at the same barn from the last chapter. I ended up changing my mind on what I originally had install for this chapter but it’s not like it was that bad since I hadn’t even started writing it beforehand, lol.

Since I had arrived at Jae’s farm over a day ago, I put all of my focus into helping him out as much as I could. By doing so I was practically living in the scorching hot sun, which wasn’t that bad considering the fact that it was native to my element. I had come to appreciate the sun a lot more since my visit to the Sun Warriors, because without it I would have nothing. But that did not mean that I enjoyed being hard at work with sweat dripping down my forehead as it only made my current situation even worse.

It wasn’t that I didn’t mind, since I actually liked pushing myself. You only got the best out of yourself by doing just that. Only Jae seemed to be taking it the wrong way since he always tried to but in when I was doing just fine by myself. Call me stubborn all you want, but I don’t need anybody’s help. I never have, and I most certainly never will. That’s just how I am, a strong and independent person who doesn’t need anybody to do my work for me.

My feet were beginning to get tired and sore since I had stayed up all night ploughing the field for the crops. Today I was helping Jae plant them. More like he was helping me since I had been up from the crack of dawn. I never realised how much effort was put into farming, mainly because I didn’t really understand the whole point of it anyways. It’s not like there was much of it in the Fire Nation, since most of our goods were brought in from places in the Earth Kingdom. The Fire Nation certainly took advantage of their superiority in that sense, since they managed to get something from at least every nation. Well, not the Air Nomads since they kind of killed them all except one.

One thing that I certainly underestimated was the foul stench that is manure. I knew that it was used in farming, which I didn’t really understand since it was basically animal crap. But it was definitely the worst thing that my nose had ever smelled. Too bad I’d never be able to rid that smell of my mind, not that I deserved it anyways.

“If only I was a farm bender. Then this would be so much easier,” I muttered as I angrily dug the shovel into the ground. “I don’t deserve easiness. Or help.”

As I shovelled away, I heard a few footsteps from behind me and I didn’t bother turning around since I assumed that it was Jae. He had been the only person that I’d properly met so I wasn’t expecting to see anyone else.

“I’m just shovelling this crap like you asked me to,” I said.

“Who are you?” a new voice asked.

My head instantly whipped around at the sudden intrusion only to find a guy who definitely _wasn’t_ Jae standing there. He appeared to be about my age, with long hair and green eyes while he was dressed in your typical Earth Kingdom attire.

“Who are you?” I rebuffed.

“You’re in no position to ask questions, especially since you’re at my family’s home,” he pointed out.

Before I could respond to that, Jae suddenly appeared from behind him and his eyes nervously darted between us. I could tell that he was worried about something, but I chose not to address that.

“Haru? When did you get back?” Jae queried.

“Just now. Jae, who is this?” the guy – Haru – asked.

Jae gulped, “This is Meg. I met her on my latest trip with Taro. She didn’t have anywhere to go so I offered her some work here which she accepted. So far she’s been no trouble.”

“And I won’t be,” I reassured.

“Well, that’s good to know. But it would’ve been nice to know beforehand. You know how my mother and father are about strangers, Jae,” Haru said.

“I know, but Meg’s cool. She’s not here to cause trouble. She just wants to work, and she’s done a decent job of it so far. She ploughed all night so that we’d be ready to plant the crops today,” Jae explained.

Haru seemed somewhat impressed, “Really? Didn’t that take long?”

“I’m sure it would’ve gone faster if she had used the bulls instead of taking it upon herself to do it,” Jae stated.

I shrugged, “I’ve never been one to shy away from demanding work. It’s not as bad as you think it would be.”

“Well, if you want to have lunch with us, you’re welcome to I guess,” Haru offered.

“Thanks, but I’d rather just stay out here and do the work. These crops aren’t going to plant themselves,” I said.

“Don’t be too hard on yourself. You’ve been working hard ever since you got here. You deserve a break,” Jae insisted.

“Well, I don’t _want_ a break. I didn’t come here to eat your food. I came here to help you with your work,” I argued.

“But you can’t work on an empty stomach. You need food to fuel yourself and I’m sure that you haven’t had much of that lately,” Jae pointed out.

“That won’t be necessary. Now just take your little friend, have your lunch, and I’ll take it from here,” I said.

Jae sighed, “If you insist. Come on, Haru. Let’s just leave her to it.”

Once again, I was left by myself and that’s how I’d much rather it be. I didn’t need Jae and his little friend pestering me, since I was just fine how I was now. It wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate their offer, it just wasn’t necessary. Lack of food has never been a problem for me, since I’ve gone long durations without food before and turned out just fine. It only gets bad if you go without water, since that’s more important than food. As long as I kept my water consumption up, I’d be fine.

Time only passed by as I stayed hard at work underneath the boiling sun. It wasn’t long before I was re-joined by Jae and his friend, Haru, I think it was. Even though Jae had made it clear that this was his work too, I’d much rather do it by myself without anyone to interfere. That’s just the type of person I was, an independent worker who didn’t need anyone to hold me back. Whenever I’d worked with people before in the past, they only just made things worse. But since this is their place and I’m only here as a guest, I wasn’t really in any position to make any demands.

“Since you refused to join us for lunch, here’s a snack to keep you settled,” Jae said as he handed me some sort of crab food.

“What is that?” I asked.

Jae stepped back in surprise, “You’ve never had a crab puff before?”

“No?” I replied with uncertainty. “What is it?”

“It’s a crab, in puff form,” Jae explained as if it was obvious.

I rolled my eyes, “Like I hadn’t figured that out on my own.”

“What did they even feed you in the Fire Nation?” Jae asked.

Haru snapped his head towards us, “What did you just say? You never mentioned that she was from the Fire Nation.”

Jae’s eyes widened, “No, she’s not. She’s been prisoner there for a long time and escaped with us. Meg is not our enemy, so you have nothing to worry about.”

Haru sighed, “Okay. Let’s just get this work done.”

At that comment I couldn’t help but wonder what had gotten Haru so wiled up when Jae mentioned the Fire Nation. It was almost as if that was a taboo topic for him, which made me even more nervous about my decision to come here. If they found out that I really was Fire Nation, then that could potentially put me at risk and I couldn’t afford to have anyone finding out about my identity. Then I’d really be in trouble.

“What’s up with him?” I asked Jae once we were away from Haru.

“What do you mean?” Jae queried.

“What’s he got against the Fire Nation?” I clarified.

“Oh. That’s not something that we like to talk about around here. A few years ago, the Fire Nation had taken control of the village and taken many of the earthbenders captive, including Haru’s father. It got to the point where earthbending was forbidden around here, since it only brought nothing but bad to this place. That all changed when the Avatar showed up a few months ago, and Haru got captured after he saved an old man. The Avatar and his friends managed to break them out of prison and we were finally about to take back our village. We might be better off now than we were before, but we’re still cautious about any outsiders with the risk of that happening again,” Jae explained.

“Yet you welcomed me with open arms when I was practically a stranger?” I wondered.

Jae shrugged, “My gut said that I could trust you, and my gut’s never been wrong before, so I thought why not.”

“So, the Avatar was really here?” I asked.

“Yeah. If it wasn’t for him and his friend, we never would’ve got our village back. He’s really incredible, isn’t he?” Jae replied.

“Yeah, he is,” I muttered. “So, are you an earthbender?”

“Sort of,” Jae replied.

I raised my eyebrows, “What does that mean?”

“I can earthbend, but I might as well not be an earthbender. I used to practice all the time with my father before he was taken. Then when he was taken, my mother couldn’t bare to look at me because I was so much like my father. Ever since then, I’ve hardly used my earthbending because it reminds me of my family. The family that I don’t have anymore,” Jae explained sadly.

“Oh,” I murmured.

An uncomfortable silence fell over us. I could tell that it was hard for Jae to tell me that, since you could practically see it on his face. That only made me feel even worse than I already did, because just like so many other people in the world Jae had his family ripped away from him as a result of this war. It might not have been my fault, but I still felt like it was to some degree.

“Enough about that, let’s just get this work done. Those crab puffs better be down your stomach by the time I get back,” Jae said before heading off to do his work.

Sighing, I glanced down at the crab puffs in my hand and hesitantly took a bite from them. It wasn’t like anything I’d eaten before, since it really wasn’t. In all honesty, I didn’t feel like I deserved this after everything I had taken away from these people. They didn’t deserve that, just like I didn’t deserve this. As much as I told myself that it wasn’t my fault that all of this happened, I still couldn’t help that believe it was. It left me with an unsettling feeling inside of me, a feeling that I couldn’t quite comprehend but tried my best to ignore. But that was proving to be difficult since I’d been feeling a lot of it lately.

It was still hard, coming to terms with everything that had happened recently and everything that had been proven wrong to me. Even though I knew what it was that I wanted and needed to do, that did nothing to stop the feeling that had been overwhelming me ever since I left the Tatakai Stronghold. By now it had gotten to the point where I hardly felt anything else but that, and I was beginning to get frustrated at myself since it wasn’t like me to let my feelings overrule the way I think about myself.

We spent the rest of the day working on the farming together. I mostly worked alongside Jae, since I felt uncomfortable working with Haru knowing how he felt about the Fire Nation. By the time that sunset had rolled around, we’d finished most of the work and I couldn’t help but feel relieved yet satisfied at the same time. It was a strange combination, one that I couldn’t recall feeling before.

“I’d say that’s enough work for today. What do you think, Haru?” Jae asked.

“You’d be right,” Haru agreed. “Come on, let’s head back to the house. My parents will be serving dinner soon.”

“Are you going to come with us, Meg?” Jae asked once Haru had left us alone.

I shook my head, “I think I’ll just go back to the barn and get some rest.”

Jae sighed, “Meg, you’ve hardly done nothing but work since you got here. You might not think that I’ve noticed it, but I have. You’re being too hard on yourself. Just come with Haru and I, have some dinner and then you can go rest in the barn.”

“You’re not going to let this go, aren’t you?” I muttered.

“Yes,” Jae replied.

“Fine. I’ll go have dinner with you,” I conceded.

“Great. You won’t regret it, Haru’s parents know how to cook a good meal,” Jae said.

“I’ll be the judge of that,” I proclaimed as I followed Jae towards the house.

It was safe to say that I’d been ignoring the hungry feeling that was building up inside my stomach for far too long, even though I’d much rather let it go. Since Jae wasn’t going to stop being annoying about it, I figured that I might as well just go to keep him satisfied and then I’d go back to what I had planned for myself.

~*•°•*~

To say that dinner had been an awkward affair would be a complete understatement. The whole time I sat as far away from them as possible, though I could still feel Haru’s parents judging me. There was the occasional question that came my way, but I always did my best to ignore them, so they wouldn’t speak to me. It was difficult, since I could still feel them watching me like a hawk which made me feel even more uncomfortable than I already was.

As I sat at the table with Jae, Haru and his parents, I couldn’t help but think how different it felt compared to any other situation that I’d been in. There was almost this familial vibe that I got from them, which was strange since I’d never experienced anything like it before, mainly because I didn’t really have a family of my own. The closest thing that I had to family was Daisuke and looking back he was hardly a family figure to me. Sometimes I wished that I had something like that, cause then maybe I wouldn’t have turned out as screwed up as I did.

“So… Meg, how long do you plan on staying with us?” Haru’s mother asked.

I shrugged, “Until I figure out what I’m going to do next.”

“How long would that take?” Haru’s mother questioned.

“I don’t know,” I muttered.

“Jae tells us you were held captive in the Fire Nation. That must’ve been difficult. I’ve experienced first-hand how cruel their people can be,” Haru’s father – Tyro – stated.

“You could say that,” I mumbled. Even though I knew his last comment wasn’t directed at me, I still felt like it was relatable to me and everything that I’d done in the past. I had been a cruel and manipulative bitch. As much as I wanted to believe that I wasn’t like that anymore, there was still a part of me that saw myself as who I once was.

“I’m sure that Meg doesn’t want to talk about her past, Tyro,” Jae said.

“If that even is her past,” Haru’s mother scoffed.

“Excuse me?” I questioned.

“How do we know that you’re really who you say you are? You might have been on the run from the Fire Nation, but maybe not because of why you say you are. We don’t need anyone bringing trouble to this village when we’ve already had to deal with enough,” Haru’s mother answered.

“What makes you think you have the right to judge me on something that you know nothing about?” I argued.

“We mean no offence; my wife and I are just concerned about the safety of our village. We do not want to have to go through anymore struggle,” Tyro reasoned.

“Well, consider me offended,” I snapped.

“How can you expect us to trust you when we know nothing about you? For all we know you could be some Fire Nation spy,” Haru’s mother accused.

“I want nothing to do with the Fire Nation. They’ve ruined my life enough and I don’t need it ruined anymore than it already is,” I hissed, sending a glare her way.

“Okay, I think that this is enough for dinner. Why don’t we all just head off to bed?” Jae suggested.

“We’re not trying to be offensive, Meg. We’re just being cautious,” Haru’s mother rationalised.

“Then explain how I’m finding myself feeling _offended_?” I asked.

“Mother, father, maybe you should just stop questioning Meg and leave her in peace. I’ve been around her all afternoon and she has done nothing to arouse my suspicions,” Haru defended me.

“You should take your son’s advice,” I quipped.

“Don’t you remember when you _trusted_ that old man who turned you in for earthbending?” Haru’s mother questioned.

“This is different, mother,” Haru stated.

“How? You’ve allowed yourself to trust her, so it’s only a matter of time before she turns on you. You can never trust an outsider, Haru. That goes for you too, Jae. You never should’ve brought her here,” Haru’s mother said.

I rolled my eyes, “I’m sitting right here.”

“As much as I understand your uneasiness, perhaps it would be best for you to just leave Meg alone. I’m sure that she’s struggled just as much as we have,” Jae defended me.

“You know what, Haru’s mother is right. I shouldn’t have come here. I’m sorry for wasting your time. I’ll just be on my way now, if you’ll excuse me,” I declared before getting up to leave the room.

Without looking back, I left their house and headed to the barn to grab my things, so I could leave and be done with it. It was obvious to me that I wasn’t welcome here, so there was no point in me staying in a place where I wasn’t wanted. Once I reached the barn, I grabbed my stuff in a rush before getting away from that place as fast as I could. I wasn’t even surprised when nobody came after me, since nobody has ever run after me before so why would they start now?

Now that I had nowhere to go, I was left to contemplate my next actions once again. Part of me just wanted to find a place where I could actually be myself without a worry in the world, but being who I am and what I’ve done, I knew that would practically be impossible. I’d just have to make a new name for myself somewhere, and I wasn’t even sure how I was supposed to do that without my past holding me back.

~*•°•*~

Since I’d left Jae’s village only a few hours ago, I couldn’t stop the tiresome thoughts that were constantly nagging me in the back of my head. It was the same thing over and over again, my Agni-forsaken conscience driving me insane. I never would’ve thought that having a conscience would be so fucking annoying, since it’s pretty much your own thoughts which is unfortunate for me since mine pretty much hate me. As much as I try to ignore them, it’s pretty much impossible since they are your own thoughts. Sometimes I just wished that I could just turn them off, so that I would at least have some peace and quiet.

**Ouch, you hurt me. Which is basically you, so you hurt yourself.**

_Here we go again._

**We wouldn’t have to play this game if for once you’d just be honest with yourself. You might have admitted to your mistakes, but you’re still at war with yourself.**

_Well, I haven’t had a mental breakdown since I left the Tatakai Stronghold, so I’d say that I’m doing pretty good._

**By ‘pretty good’ you mean still in denial about your feelings.**

_What’s that supposed to mean?_

**You’re guilty. That’s what’s holding you back. You just need to accept your guilt and move on. Then you’ll be free cause right now, your guilt is the only thing that’s keeping you trapped.**

_And you know this because???_

**Because I’m your conscience and I know how you’re feeling. Just accept it and move on. It’s as simple as that.**

_That’s easy for you to say, you’re just my conscience._

**Trust me, you’ll feel a lot better once you do. Then you’ll actually be able to move on with your life.**

_Man, I really wish that you had an off button._

**Rude.**

_I’m the queen of rude, you should know that since you’re my conscience and I’m me._

**Oh, now you’re being a smart-ass.**

“Just shut up and leave me alone,” I hissed.

“How did you know I was here?” a familiar voice asked.

My head instantly whipped around to see Jae standing there, looking just as surprised as I was. What in the name of Agni was he doing here? How did he even find me? For a moment, I thought that he might’ve been some bizarre hallucination but after I blinked my eyes a couple of times and he was still there, I knew that he was real.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“I came to look for you, after you ran off from dinner,” Jae replied.

“Why?” I queried.

“Because I was concerned. Especially since you’re not from here and you don’t even have anywhere to go. I didn’t want you getting yourself into any trouble,” Jae answered.

“Oh. That’s _nice_ of you. I’m fine now, so you can go. I don’t need a babysitter,” I said.

“I’m not going to leave. I just wanted to say, that it was really uncalled for Haru’s parents to say what they did about you, you didn’t deserve that. They also agreed to let you stay for as long as you want, if you want to,” Jae explained, adding that last part hesitantly.

“Well, I doubt that they’d want me there since they weren’t that far off from the truth,” I muttered.

Jae narrowed his eyebrows, “What does that mean?”

I sighed, “I’m not form the Earth Kingdom. I’m from the Fire Nation and I have lived there all of my life.”

Jae’s eyes widened, and his expression changed to one that I couldn’t quite register. Shock? Disbelief? Anger? Whatever it was, I didn’t understand it and it made me feel even more uneasy than I already was.

“Aren’t you going to freak out on me?” I asked, breaking the silence.

After what felt like an eternity, Jae simply shrugged as he stared at me with confusion, “Should I?”

“Well, you just found out that I was lying to you about who I was and where I’m from so that’s pretty freak out worthy,” I replied.

Once again, there was a tense silence that overwhelmed us as we just stood there. For me it was perplexing, since anyone else in his position would’ve lashed out on me and called me all sorts of derogatory names. Jae was just standing there in silence, and part of me considered using his momentary shock to make a break for it, but I too was just frozen in place, unsure of what to do.

“Well, say something,” I snapped.

“You’re really from the Fire Nation?” Jae clarified.

“Born and raised,” I said.

“I’ve got to say, I’m pretty shocked. You didn’t strike me as the Fire Nation type,” Jae admitted.

I quirked my eyebrows, “And what is the Fire Nation type?”

Jae shrugged, “I don’t know. Every Fire Nation person that I’ve met is either angry, arrogant, hotheaded or just a flat-out jerk.”

“Admittedly I’m all of the above,” I confessed.

“Really? You don’t seem angry, arrogant, hotheaded or jerky,” Jae said.

“Well, I wouldn’t say that I’m like that _all_ of the time. I have my angry moments, just like I have my arrogant, hotheaded and jerky moments,” I acknowledged.

“You do a good job of hiding it,” Jae muttered.

“I’ve always been good at hiding things,” I stated.

“If you’re really from the Fire Nation and you weren’t really held captive there for the better half of ten years, what are you doing here?” Jae asked.

“Technically, I was a prisoner for the past ten years, I just didn’t realise it. To answer your question, I needed a fresh start, somewhere away from the Fire Nation and it’s toxic environment. So, I came here,” I replied.

“Why couldn’t you have just moved to one of their smaller cities?” Jae questioned.

“Well, I can’t really hide in plain site when I’m considered a traitor and probably have a massive bounty on my head, so anybody would be willing to turn me in the first chance they got,” I snapped.

“You’re a traitor?” Jae repeated.

I nodded, “As of recently. I’m now no longer welcomed in my home country, the same place that I gave up everything for and did all sorts of abhorrent things for. It’s funny, cause I never thought that I would ever turn traitor. Believe it or not, I was one of the most pompous Fire Nation citizens you’d ever meet. I bled Fire Nation red, I proclaimed our supremacy and ate every bit of their outrageous propaganda.”

“Then what made you have a change of heart?” Jae asked.

“Let’s just say, I got to see more of the world than I ever thought I would. It helped me open my mind and see the truth, the truth that I had ignored for so long but couldn’t deny any longer,” I replied.

“Can I… Can I ask who you _really_ are?” Jae queried.

I shrugged, “Well, since I’ve already told you all of that shit I don’t see why not. My real name is Abby, but you might have heard of me more from my accolade; the Dragoness. Which I probably don’t have anymore.”

 “ _You’re_ the Dragoness?” Jae asked.

“Yep. I’ve made quite the name for myself in recent years. Though the only place you’ll see my name now is probably on a wanted poster,” I said.

“So, you want to make a new name for yourself?” Jae questioned.

I sighed, “Yeah, that’s why I came to the Earth Kingdom. That, and I figured that I wasn’t really welcomed in the Fire Nation anymore. But I’m not really welcomed in the Earth Kingdom either, so I’m not really welcome anywhere.”

“Just to be clear, you’re not with the Fire Nation anymore? Like, you have no ties with them whatsoever?” Jae clarified.

“Yes, I have no ties to the Fire Nation anymore. I’m completely on my own with nowhere to go,” I answered.

“Why would you even want to give up that life? I thought that you had everything made for you in the Fire Nation. We only hear of the really legendary people over here, so that makes you pretty damn important,” Jae wondered.

“I’d say that my importance has dwindled since I’ve become a traitor. To answer your question, I’d much rather live a life on the run with nowhere to belong than live a life where people are only pretending to care about me. I’ve had enough of people’s deceptions, so I’m looking for some honesty which I’ve somewhat lacked,” I explained.

“So, you’ve had enough of people lying about you, so you lied about who you were to start over?” Jae asked.

“I realise that makes me seem pretty hypocritical, but you should understand why I can’t just tell people who I really am on first glance. I’ve always had trouble trusting people, which is what I need now more than ever. I’ll only be honest with people if they’re willing to accept me for who I am, regardless of where I’m from and what I’ve done,” I replied.

“Yet you’re telling me this, because?” Jae trailed off.

I shrugged, “You haven’t given me a reason not to trust you unless I shouldn’t.”

“No, you can trust me. I’m not going to turn you in if that’s what you’re thinking. I’d have nothing to gain by doing that,” Jae reassured me.

“You’d be set for life,” I muttered.

“But I’d have to live with that guilt on my conscience knowing that I turned an innocent person in,” Jae pointed out.

“Who’s to say I deserve to be thrown into prison?” I scoffed. “You don’t know have the fucked-up shit I’ve done. I’d probably deserve to spend the rest of my life rotting away in prison.”

“Well, you regret it, don’t you?” Jae asked.

I glanced at him, “What do you mean?”

“You wish that you hadn’t done what you did, don’t you?” Jae clarified.

“Isn’t it obvious? If I could go back in time and change everything that I’ve done, I’d do it in a heartbeat. Maybe then I wouldn’t be stuck with this dark cloud looming over my head,” I said.

“Guilt,” Jae stated.

“What?” I questioned.

“That’s what you’re feeling, guilt. There is no dark cloud over you, which is just metaphorically speaking. The only dark cloud that you have is your guilt, which makes you a good person. If you didn’t feel guilty about what you’d done, then I’d be questioning you,” Jae elaborated.

“I don’t feel guilty. I just feel regret. Guilt isn’t exactly something in my vocabulary,” I admitted.

“Do you feel remorse? Do you feel like something is eating you alive on the inside? Can you hardly focus because you keep on thinking about what you’ve done?” Jae queried.

“Yes, yes and yes,” I mumbled.

“Then that’s guilt. Regret can also be tied to guilt,” Jae said.

“What are you trying to say?” I asked.

“I’m trying to say that that feeling you have, is guilt. And it’s not something to be ashamed of. In fact, it means that you’re not as horrible of a person as you think. It actually makes you more human than you realise,” Jae explained.

“What are you, a therapist?” I snapped.

Jae shrugged, “I’m no psychologist, but maybe it would help you if you actually talk about this stuff instead of keeping your feelings bottled up inside. Feeling guilty doesn’t help you. I’d even go as far to say that guilt can corrupt you, just like it’s done with you.”

“I’m already corrupted,” I muttered.

“No, you’re not corrupted. If you were corrupted you wouldn’t even be here,” Jae comforted me.

“Why are you even being like this? You shouldn’t want anything to do with me. I’m Fire Nation scum, I’m an ash maker. I’ve done all sorts of horrible things that are inexcusable,” I said.

“I’m helping you because I want to. Plus, my mother always said to help those who need it. I’m a Momma’s Boy, remember?” Jay pointed out.

I chuckled, “That you are. But what can I do to get rid of this feeling? I’m sick of it.”

“You can start by not being so hard on yourself. Once you accept that, it should be a lot easier to deal with your guilt. Speaking of which, you should try to put your energy into something other than punishing yourself which does nothing,” Jae explained.

I glanced at him, “What?”

“Come on, Abby. I saw how much you were pushing yourself back there. Only an idiot would use the ploughing machine without any help. At first, I just thought you were crazy, but now I understand why. You were punishing yourself,” Jae elaborated.

“Because I deserve it,” I snapped.

“Stop thinking like that. You’re not doing yourself any favours. You want peace, don’t you? Then let go of your guilt. As soon as you learn to deal with your emotions, you’ll feel a lot better,” Jae insisted.

“What makes you such an expert on emotions?” I asked.

“After my parents left me, I was really angry. I kept all of my anger to myself because I didn’t want to burden anyone else with my emotions. Only once I realised that I was making myself feel worse did I learn to let go of that anger and move on with my life. Just like you need to let go of your guilt, so you can be free,” Jae explained.

“It’s not that simple. Anger and guilt are two completely different emotions,” I said.

“What do I have to do to get through to you, Abby? Just stop being so hard on yourself and _move on_. You might not think it but you’re being ridiculous. Don’t let your emotions control you anymore,” Jae persisted.

“You know what I don’t like, I don’t like people who think that they know everything when they don’t. Because you don’t know everything, just like you think you do. My feelings aren’t as simple as you might think. I’ve already had enough shit to deal with and I can only take so much at a time. I’ll handle _my_ feelings on _my_ own because I don’t need help and I don’t need you!” I snapped, my frustration finally reaching its peak.

Jae sighed, “Abby, I’m just trying to help. You won’t be doing yourself any favours by going with what you have so far because that’s what’s gotten you to this point. If you keep on letting your guilt eat you alive, you’ll never feel balanced within yourself or have that peace of mind to control your emotions.”

My head snapped up, “Wait, what did you just say?”

“You’ll never feel balanced within yourself or have that peace of mind to control your emotions?” Jae repeated confusedly.

Even though it was far from my mind, I remembered those exact words from not too long ago. They might not have been in that context, but those words still rang true to me in more ways than one. In that moment, I couldn’t help but think back to my short return to the Tatakai Stronghold when I had attempted mastering lightning generation, only for it to quite literally blow up in my face. In order to master the technique, you needed to have a peace of mind and an absence of emotion, which was what I lacked right now.

As much as it pained me to admit it, Jae was right. It only took me that remembrance to realise it. I’d never be at peace with myself if I let my guilt rule me, just like I’d never be able to master lightning generation. If I wanted to be at peace, I needed to learn to deal with my guilt. And the first thing I had to do was let it go, even if I wasn’t too sure how to do that.

“Fine, you’re right. I need to let go of my guilt. But I don’t know how!” I exclaimed.

“Just let it go. You don’t have to do anything crazy. You just have to leave it behind,” Jae advised me.

“How am I supposed to know if it’s gone?” I asked.

“You’ll know it. Now, just let it go,” Jae said.

Taking a deep breath, I just stood there and acknowledged all of the _guilt_ that was building up inside of me. There had been so much of it laid to rest for years now that it was just coming to surface all at once. But I had to remind myself that this was what I needed to do, I needed to get rid of it if I was ever going to move on. I just had to believe that it wasn’t my fault, and that I was a different person now, which I was certainly trying to be.

Only once I admitted that to myself, did I feel better. It was subtle at first, but then I instantly felt like I had a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. It was unlike anything that I had felt before, a bit of relief mixed with… Happiness. There were still remnants of the guilt left inside of me, but it was nowhere near as strong as it had just been.

“Well?” Jae asked expectantly.

“I feel… better. Like it’s gone. It’s weird,” I replied with a hint of uncertainty.

“Guilt-free?” Jae suggested.

“I wouldn’t say I’m ‘free’ of it. But there’s not as much of it inside of me as there was just then,” I admitted.

“That’s good. I’m glad that I could help you,” Jae said.

“It did, more than you’ll ever know. Now, if you don’t mind, would you take a couple steps back?” I asked.

“Um, okay?” Jae replied hesitantly as he did just that.

Once Jae was at a safe enough distance away from me, I took a deep breath as I laced my fingers together before going through my movements. Just as I did the first time I tried, I moved my arms around in a circular motion with my fingers pointing outwards, trying my best to bring out the positive and negative energies that I knew were around me. When nothing happened, I didn’t let my frustration take over like I did the first time I tried. I simply focused on what I was doing, emptying my mind of all its thoughts so there was a complete absence of emotion which I had never quite experienced before.

Suddenly, there was a loud sizzling noise that surrounded me and out of the corner of my eye, I saw a pale light come out from nowhere which was now under _my_ control. It gave me a strange feeling, knowing that I had that much control under my grasp, but I didn’t let that distract me. I just kept my focus on the positive and negative energies around me, bringing them together for one final blow before thrusting my left arm into the sky. Just like that, the lightning was gone and all that could be heard was the loud rumbling noise that came from the bolt of electricity that I had just fired into the air.

It didn’t take long for me to realise what I had just done, and when I did, I couldn’t hide the grin that was plastered on my face. I had just performed _lightning generation_ , the most highly advanced firebending move there is. Part of me couldn’t believe it, since my first attempt was hardly successful, and I never thought I could actually do it. There was no denying the sudden feeling of pride that surged through me like nothing else, and there was nothing that could wipe the grin off my face.

Unlike me, Jae was _not_ happy. He didn’t even look impressed. He just stood there, with a shocked expression on his face. There was even a hint of fear on him, which I could somewhat understand since he probably had no idea what I had just done.

“W-what w-was t-that?” Jae stuttered.

“ _That_ was lightning generation. The most highly advanced form of firebending there is,” I stated.

“Why did you just do that?” Jae asked.

“Because the first time I tried it, I failed. Lightning generation requires a peace of mind and absence of emotion. Since I just let go of my guilt, I was able to get rid of the block that was holding me back from doing it,” I explained.

“Oh. You’re not going to kill me with that now, aren’t you?” Jae double-checked.

I chuckled, “Of course not. I can’t have more guilt over my shoulders.”

“So, you’re good then?” Jae questioned.

I nodded confidently, “Yeah, I’m good. I can’t thank you enough for how you’ve helped me, even though I probably don’t deserve it. I’ll be forever grateful for this.”

“Does this mean you’ll come back with me to the barn?” Jae asked, somewhat hopefully.

“I can’t. I need to be moving on. You already know who I am, I can’t afford to have anyone else finding out with the risk of being turned in,” I replied.

“Will this be the last time I see you?” Jae inquired.

“Probably. And if it is, thanks again for what you’ve done for me. You’ve helped me understand myself more than I ever could’ve done on my own,” I responded.

“I’m glad I could help you. And if you’re ever around again and need someplace to stay, you’re always welcome to come back with us. Whenever you want,” Jae offered.

“I’ll keep that in mind. So, until then, I’ll catch you around,” I said before heading off.

“Good luck,” Jae said.

“Thanks,” I returned before muttering under my breath, “I’ll need it.”

After giving Jae one last look, I headed off in the other direction in search of whatever it was I needed to find. Truth be told, I had no idea what I was going to get myself into now, but after my conversation with Jae I felt like I could handle anything, which was a feeling that I’d almost forgotten. With renewed vigour, I kept my focus on my footsteps that took me off to wherever it was I was going to next. Even though I had no idea where that was, I just knew that I could handle whatever it had to throw at me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That chapter turned out longer than I expected it to. Hope you guys liked it and if you did, please leave a review and let me know what you think.


	43. Perks of Having a Conscience

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another chapter for you guys. This one was written over a month ago, but I forgot to update it until now. Also, for one of my classes I had to choose a topic about how the media shares a message so of course I had to pick Avatar and once I did my speech, one of the guys in my class was like ‘now I want to watch Avatar’ so that made me feel pretty good. Just thought I’d share that with you guys before I give you another one of my minds masterpieces. This chapter takes place during the Serpent's Pass and I hope it makes up for the wait :). Just like always, italics are flashbacks/thoughts.

There were many things that I had underestimated about the rugged terrain that was the Earth Kingdom. For starters, I never realised how much land there actually was, even before when I was tracking down the Avatar. Back then I didn’t really have time to just stop and look at the view, since I had other things on my mind. But now I often found myself gazing around whenever I didn’t have anything to think about, which was surprisingly frequent now. This was probably one of the only times where I didn’t have something stuck on my mind, and it was actually kind of refreshing since there was nothing for me to dwell on.

Admittedly, I felt a lot better after I had let go of my guilt and started to move forward with my life, which was something that I had struggled with doing from the beginning. Although there were still remnants of the guilt left inside of me, it just wasn’t as big as it was before. My head felt a lot more clear now and I was in the best place that I had been in for a long time. I’d even go as far to say that I was the best I’d ever felt, which was probably the case since I couldn’t remember the last time I felt this optimistic about the future. There were still clouds of uncertainty hanging over my head, but I was prepared to face whatever challenges came my way when I had to.

Now that I had left Jae and was by myself once again, I had to think of another place for me to go, even if I didn’t know where that was. All of the possible places for me to go I wouldn’t exactly be welcome there, so as always, my options were very limited. As much as I dreamed of finding a place where I could be myself without worrying about protecting my identity, I knew that I would probably never find such a place. Even though I was a far cry from the person that I once was, people would always associate me with who I used to be rather than who I was now. That was something that I had accepted before I even decided to go on my own, since it always takes time to prove to anyone that you’re not what they think of you.

Sometimes I found myself thinking about those who I had left behind at the Tatakai Stronghold, like Seung, Kenji and Liling. I hoped that things hadn’t got harder for them, and that they’d been able to move past my departure but a part of me felt that Daisuke wouldn’t be giving them an easy ride considering their connection to me. They were practically the only people who I was relatively close to, so if Daisuke was desperate enough to get me back in chains he’d more than likely try and use their knowledge, not that they even knew anything about my whereabouts. I might’ve told them that I was leaving, but I left no indication as to where I was going since it wasn’t even like I knew where I was going at the time. Even now I had no idea where I was going. Until I found a place where I could finally be free I figured that I would just keep on going to the next town to the next one.

Before I did go on my own, travelling was never something that I really considered myself doing with my life in any possible future. I always saw myself remaining at the Tatakai Stronghold and perfecting my training until I was ready to make a name for myself on my own, but I guess fate had other plans for me. Never in a million years did I ever think that my life would turn out like this, with me being on the run from the only place I’d ever called home. But then again, it’s not like I ever planned on becoming a traitor. It was just one of those things that you don’t see coming, even if it’s something that you never would’ve associated yourself with before.

My mind occasionally drifted to those who I had met in the past, whether it be as who was before or who I was now. I wondered if they ever thought about me, since I admittedly thought about them. Them being the Avatar and his little posse, since our paths had crossed more than once, and they had certainly caught me on many of my bad days. They probably thought that I was some psychotic bitch, but I couldn’t blame them since that’s what I practically was. If they ever found out what I’d gotten myself into, they’d probably never believe it until they saw it with their own eyes. Then there was Zuko, who even though I wasn’t close to, we still came across each other given our common goals. Just like the Avatar, he’d probably never believe it for a second that I’d turn against our _great_ nation. Of course, thoughts of a certain Fire Nation princess had crossed my mind as well. There was no doubt that she’d be fuming once she learned of my betrayal, and I’d be willing to bet that she’d be leading the charge alongside Daisuke to bring me to my knees, not that it would ever happen. There was no way that I was going to give her the satisfaction of being the cause of my demise.

As I continued my voyage across the Earth Kingdom, I went through my same routine as always by keeping to myself and avoiding any contact with other people. This whole situation really had made me more of a recluse since I didn’t want to interact with other people unless I had to, since I never felt comfortable with other strangers. Even with Jae I was wary of him because I didn’t trust him completely, yet I still told him enough about my background. I’ve always been cautious of other people, since I never wanted to reveal my cards to anyone and kept my secrets to myself. That’s just the type of person that I’ve always been, since I never really understood the point in being open with other people when they’d always just use your trust in them against you, but I guess that comes from the way I was brought up since Daisuke had always drilled into my head that trust wasn’t a good thing to have since people always betrayed you in the end.

Although I disagreed with practically everything that Daisuke stood for, I couldn’t help but agree with him when it came to his views on trust. It was always something hard to come by, since you had to earn peoples trust and it was something as fragile like a mirror since it could be so easily broken with betrayal. Even though I had met a few good people in my life, there were still times when they had been misleading to me for one reason or another. Trust was just something that I never really gave to people, not even Daisuke. I might’ve given him everything that I had, but I never gave him my trust. Nobody had ever got my trust, just like I had probably never gotten anybody else’s. Who needs trust anyways? It’s not like it got you anywhere in life. The way I saw it, it was more risky to give someone your trust than it was to be completely independent on your own without any help. At least that way you never opened yourself up to the possibility of getting hurt.

Out of nowhere, my stomach started to turn, considering it had been a long time since I last had a decent meal. Throughout my travels, I’d mainly just relied on whatever food I could find, and it was handy that I’d trained myself in survival skills so I knew what was eatable and what wasn’t. Unfortunately, I could only afford so much food for myself with the money I had stolen before I left so it wasn’t like I could just buy whatever I wanted. I did briefly consider resorting to theft, but then I remembered what happened the last time I tried to steal something and I’d much rather not go through that again. So, it appeared as though I’d be relying on my outside knowledge to get me through this until I found something to sustain myself with.

The further I walked, the more hungry I got and I was starting to crave some of the food that I missed from the Fire Nation. What I would do right now to have some Komodo sausage in my stomach… And to top it off I’d finish it off with some flaming fire flakes. Most people couldn’t really stomach flaming fire flakes, since they were pretty spicy and often left a burning sensation behind. But I was one of those people who could stomach most things, and I didn’t really care what I ate as long as it was edible. Food is food the way I see it, and people should just take what they can get.

Suddenly, I heard a slight rustling noise from the bushes beside me which immediately put me into defensive mood. Whatever it was, I wasn’t about to take any chances since I couldn’t risk getting myself hurt when I had nowhere to go to. Slowly, I made my way towards the bushes as I tightly gripped onto my sword just in case I needed it. Once I was at a close enough distance, I spread the bushes apart so I could see what was lurking behind them. In all honesty, I didn’t know what to expect, since it could’ve been anything for all I knew. Yet I was still surprised when I saw a fox antelope resting behind the bushes. It didn’t seem to notice my presence, so the wheels in my brain instantly started turning as I started thinking of a way to capture that wild animal for myself. It shouldn’t be that hard to capture a dumb wild animal.

Turning around, I spotted a large pothole on the ground which immediately gave me an idea. I quickly, yet quietly, rummaged around the nearby bushes as I collected leaves as part of my plan. Once I had enough, I carefully grabbed a nearby fruit that was hanging from a tree before piling the leaves over the hole and place the fruit over the leaves. Knowing that I had to attract it’s attention without revealing myself, I hid behind another set of bushes before grabbing a rock and throwing it where the fox antelope was hiding. It’s head then popped out from the bushes, and I saw it notice the fruit sitting on a pile of leaves before it trotted out of the bushes and towards the pile of leaves.

“There we go,” I whispered.

Soon enough, the fox antelope reached my trap and the moment its feet touched the leaves, the animal fell into the hole. Smirking with satisfaction, I carefully made my way over to the hole where the animal was now trapped with no way of getting out until I brought it to it’s untimely end. Peering over the hole, I licked my lips as the hunger that was inside of me began to intensify. However, when I glanced down at the fox antelope, it gave me a sad expression as it glanced towards the bushes where it had just been hiding and made some sort of whimpering noise. My curiosity had been spiked, so I carefully walked over to the bushes to get another closer look at anything that I might have missed. Sure enough, hiding beneath the bushes were a bunch of baby fox antelopes. It was then that I realised that they were probably the babies of the one I’d just trapped and planned to eat. With just one glance down at the babies, I could see the confusion in their eyes as they must’ve wondered where their mother was now. That look was enough to tug at my heartstrings, which I didn’t even know I had until recently.

Deciding to let the babies go free, I turned my attention back to the hole where their mother was trapped. When I glanced down at her, instead of giving me a confused look she gave me one etched with sadness. Gripping onto my sword, I blocked out any thoughts of pity as I focused on getting myself that meal that I desperately craved. But my emotions came into conflict yet again when the fox antelope whimpered at the sight of my sword ready to slice it in two. Could I really kill a defenceless animal? Sure, I’d eaten food that came from animals before but I’d never actually killed any animal with my own bare hands. Up until now the thought of doing that never phased me, but now that I was actually faced with the decision I began to doubt myself. Not that I was doubting my abilities, since I knew that I could kill the animal. But could I really kill it in good conscience?

Conscience. For so long, it was that same thing that had plagued my thoughts like an irritating fly. Yet again it was influencing my decision making, as I was beginning to lean on sparing the fox antelope and find something else to eat. Ultimately, my conscience won as I bent down to pick up the animal before releasing it so it could be free. Of course, it ran back to it’s children before running off with them as well and I couldn’t really blame them, since I’d run away from me as well.

Knowing that I’d blown my best chance at getting myself a decent meal, I decided to move along from this area before I started regretting my actions. It didn’t take long for those nagging voices in my head to start telling me that I’d made the wrong decision, and that I should’ve taken the opportunity to get some food while I had it. But I couldn’t do it and even if I could, I don’t think I would because I already had enough shit hanging over my conscience. Ugh, I liked it better when I didn’t know I had a conscience cause it really does have a knack of getting in the way of my decision making. The only good thing that comes from having one is that I can at least make decisions that I can live with, like I did just then.

Since my hunger wasn’t exactly something that I could just ignore, I settled on some nearby fruit and berries which might not have provided me with the nutrition that the fox antelope would’ve, but they at least put my conscience at rest. My next plan was to find another village so I could hopefully get enough supplies to sustain my needs. After that, I wasn’t really sure what I would do next since I was left with little options. In all honesty, part of me considered tracking down the Avatar and pledging my allegiance to them, since it wasn’t like my loyalty mattered to the Fire Nation anymore. Besides, he’d eventually need a firebending teacher if he wanted any chance of defeating Fire Lord Ozai. But then I realised that I didn’t even know where they would be heading now. Before it had been easy, since the only logical place for the Avatar to end up was the North Pole. But this is the Earth Kingdom, and he could be anywhere for all I knew and I wasn’t willing to waste my time searching for him again when it could all be for nothing. Even though I knew that I was a different person than I was the last time they saw me, they still probably only saw me as that crazy bitch that tried to kill them and I wouldn’t blame them for thinking of me that way.

For now, I’d just have to make my way through this treacherous terrain until I found a place to sustain myself and given where I was now, it didn’t seem like I’d be finding any place anytime soon. As the hours ticked by and I continued to make my way through this rugged area, I couldn’t help but take in view that surrounded me. Despite it’s rugged terrain, the view of the Earth Kingdom was truly something to behold. It was certainly unlike anything that I’d ever seen in the Fire Nation before. The Water Tribe can’t really compare since it’s literally made of ice. The only place out of the four nations that I hadn’t been to yet were the Air Nomad temples. From what I knew, they’d been all-but destroyed as a result of the genocide, yet the Northern Air Temple was still inhabited by a group of refuges from the Earth Kingdom. Maybe now I could actually visit the Air Temples and see them for myself.

When you’re in battle, you hardly have any time to actually just stop and take in your surroundings since you’re just so focused on what you’re doing then. By looking at what surrounds you, you remain focused on your opponent without giving them any opportunity to take a hit at you. But examining your surroundings can actually be helpful, since you can use them to your advantage. That was one of the many things I learned during my time with Master Piando, the greatest swordmaster in Fire Nation history. I first started learning with Piando when I was nine-years-old, and in all honesty, I hated every moment of it at first. Daisuke had only sent me there to get rid of me for the summer, not so that I could actually learn anything worthwhile and I hated my time there for that reason only. At the start, I wanted nothing to do with swordplay, since I only saw it as something that pathetic non-benders were required to know to compensate for their pitiful existence. Only when I learned that I could actually incorporate swordsmanship into my bending did I become interested in it. My dislike for it was made evident at first, and I certainly gave Piando a hard time over that.

_Nine-year-old me furiously packed my bags as I readied myself to leave Master Piando’s castle. Daisuke had sent me there for the summer, and although there was still a month to go until the summer was over, I was more than ready to leave this waste of time behind. The whole time I had spent here had been for nothing, since all Master Piando did was make me write my name, paint pictures and use me as a sparring dummy for his assistant, Fat, whose appearance certainly matched his name. After being used as a sparring dummy for the last time, I finally lost my calm and berated Master Piando and his assistant for their pointless training. Now, I was packing my stuff so I could do myself a favour and get out of here._

_My packing was interrupted by a knock on the door, which I refused to acknowledge since I knew that it had to be either Master Piando or Fat, and I didn’t really want to be in either of their presence. Sure enough, my lack of response was ignored and the door to my room was opened where Piando stepped inside my room. Not wanting to give him the satisfaction of my acknowledgement, I simply ignored him and continued my packing._

_“I see your packing,” Piando noted._

_“I told you that I was done with this place,” I snapped._

_“But Colonel Daisuke sent you here for the summer. There are still three weeks left until the end of summer,” Piando pointed out._

_“So? I don’t care what he wants. If this place has nothing of worth to teach me, then what is the point of me even being here?” I asked._

_“Is that why you don’t want to be here? Because you don’t see how my teachings could be of use to you?” Piando clarified._

_“Haven’t I made that pretty clear?” I remarked._

_“I must admit, I’ve never had anyone refuse my teachings,” Piando said._

_“There’s a first time for everything,” I muttered._

_“Is there anything that I can do to change your mind?” Piando asked._

_“How about you stop wasting my time? I already know how to write my name, which you’ve made me done like a thousand times already. I already know how to paint a picture, which seems even more stupid than that. And rock gardening is the most stupidest thing that I’ve ever heard of. And I don’t want to be used as a sparring dummy. If anyone should be used as a dummy, it should be your fatass assistant,” I rambled._

_“You seem to be missing the point of my teachings. Calligraphy is relevant since you stamp your name, your identity on the page, just like you stamp your identity on the battlefield. Landscape painting teaches the warrior to hold the lay of the land in his mind since when in battle, you only have a second to take everything in. Rock gardening teaches a warrior to manipulate their surroundings to their advantage. Sparring helps you improve your skills, which you obviously lack,” Piando explained._

_I glared at him, “You have no right to judge my skills when you’re just a pathetic non-bender. I’m one of the most promising prodigies of my generation! Soon my name will be even bigger than yours!”_

_“But it’s not, isn’t it? And your skills are nowhere near any prodigy that I’ve seen,” Piando said._

_“That’s because I’m still a work a work in progress,” I admitted. “But by the time my training is complete, I’ll be one of the greatest firebending masters in Fire Nation history. And swordplay will do nothing to help me achieve that!”_

_“I see that you are one of those who believe the misconceptions surrounding non-benders. While our skills may be of more use to us, they can still be helpful to you too. For instance, did you know that you can use a sword with firebending?” Piando said._

_I raised my eyebrows out of curiosity, “Really? Because I didn’t.”_

_“Rather than think of the sword as a separate object, think of it as an extension of your arm. By doing so you open yourself up to the possibilities and can use your sword to extend your firebending,” Piando explained._

_“I have to admit that I did not know about that technique,” I muttered._

_“Would you like to learn it?” Piando offered._

_“How could you teach me that? You’re a non-bender, not a firebender,” I pointed out._

_“But I am skilled in the art of swordsmanship unlike you. I can teach you things that you never thought you’d need to know. You just have to be willing to learn,” Piando said._

_“If you would, I would like you to teach me how to use the sword as an extension of my arm so I can furtherly enhance my firebending. I only want to be the best at what I do, and this would certainly help me in that area,” I said._

_“Your ambition is admirable, Abby. I would be more than happy to teach you the advanced ways on the sword. But in order to do that you have to learn the basics,” Piando instructed._

_I sighed, “Does that mean more painting and name writing?”_

_Piando chuckled, “No, it does not. Instead I want you to learn as much as you can about the origins of swordsmanship, and how it has become a part of firebending. My library consists of a vast collection of books on such knowledge, so use it to your advantage. Once you have learned as much as you can, then I will teach you what you want to know.”_

_“Fair enough,” I grumbled._

_“So, you’ll be staying?” Piando checked._

_“I guess so. But this better be worth it,” I conceded._

_“If you apply yourself in the right way, it will be,” Piando stated._

_Sighing, I started to unpack my stuff since it looked like I was going to need it more than I thought I would. As much as I didn’t want to admit it, Piando’s teachings did seem a lot more interesting now, and I was intrigued to learn more since like I said, all I wanted was to be the best at everything that I did._

After that, I started studying more on swordsmanship and how it could be incorporated with my firebending. The more I read about it, the more fascinated I got and the more I wanted to learn, even if it meant that I had to write my name a million times and paint random pictures. Unfortunately, I was only with Master Piando for that summer and by the time I’d left, my thirst for knowledge had only grown. But since Daisuke didn’t send me to Master Piando to learn swordsmanship, he was very adamant that I wouldn’t be returning to learn something that wasn’t necessary for my development as a firebender. Ultimately, I trained myself in secret at the Tatakai Stronghold until I managed to convince Daisuke to send me back to Master Piando each summer, which I did up until I was eleven-years-old. By the time I had my last session with Master Piando, I had already learned to use my firebending with my sword fighting and my skills were proficient in every aspect of the art. As a result of my hard work and dedication, Master Piando gave me the honour of making my own sword, which I made out of iron gold and adorned it with elegant jewels to symbolise my superiority. To this day, it was still my most prized possession that I took with me everywhere I went, even now as I made my way through the Earth Kingdom.

It didn’t take long for my thoughts on Master Piando to subside as I put my focus back on my task at hand, which was finding somewhere else to go. Hours passed before night started to fall, and my body was beginning to deteriorate, since it was obvious that I needed rest. Out of nowhere, I suddenly heard a loud roar coming from nearby as dozens of birds flew into the air. For a moment I debated if whether or not I should investigate the source of the commotion or if I should just run away as fast as I could. The logical move would be to run away from loud, unknown noises, while the riskier move would be to see what it was for yourself. Deciding to take the riskier option, I headed off in the direction of where the noise came from, wanting to see what was causing such a loud noise.

Not sure what to expect, I moved along quickly but cautiously in case it was something that I couldn’t handle. If I was being completely honest, I had no idea what to expect but I was still surprised to find a _bison_ being attacked by two men. I knew immediately that this wasn’t any bison, it was the Avatar’s bison since it was the only one in existence. That made me wonder, what in the name of Agni was the Avatar’s bison doing here? As I looked closer, I noticed how dishevelled the bison looked and that it’s fur didn’t have it’s usual cleanliness to it. The fact that his feet were chained together as well made me wonder what was even going on here. The Avatar didn’t strike me as the kind of person to mistreat his pet and since he was missing his saddle, I assumed that he was missing himself. There were two men that were trying subdue the bison as they cornered him around several tries with their fire torches, which made me remember that the bison was afraid of fire. It was clear that the men were getting the upper hand, even if they were up against a ten-tone flying bison so I knew that if I was going to do something, I had to do it now.

Without even thinking, I pulled out my sword and charged towards the two men, managing to catch them off guard with my sudden intrusion. They immediately turned their attention to me, and for a moment I wasn’t sure if I should go for the men or go for the bison. In the end, I decided to fight off the men with my trusty blade to give the bison some time to flee, which I really wasn’t sure why I was doing that but I went ahead with it anyways. It should’ve been easy for me to disarm the men, since they probably didn’t have the skills and expertise that I did in combat. Sure enough, I was easily able to evade their attacks and render them pathetic, giving the bison the opportunity, it needed to escape, although it appeared to be too terrified to make any movement as it cowered in fear. Forgetting the situation that I was in, I ran to pick up a nearby stick and lit it on fire before shoving it in the bison’s face, hoping that it would get the message and get away from here.

“What are you doing? Get away from here!” I yelled.

Finally, the bison seemed to get the hint and took off, leaving me alone to deal with the two men who had been harassing it. Only then did I realise that I had just exposed myself as a firebender as they stared at me with disapproving looks on their faces. Not wanting to give anymore impression that I was an enemy to them, I held up my sword a defensive position in case they tried to attack me.

“Who do you think you are?” I asked.

“You’re asking us who _we_ are? I think we should be asking you who _you_ are,” the first man remarked.

“Be careful, Touma. She’s an _ash maker_ ,” the second man spat.

It was clear to me that I needed to think of a way to lie my way out of this, even if I had already foolishly exposed myself as a firebender, and for what gain? The Avatar better appreciate what I just did for his lost pet. Focusing on my current predicament, I knew that I needed to give them a cover story so that they wouldn’t learn my true identity, even if they partly knew what I was.

“Not by choice,” I hissed.

“What makes you say that?” the first man – Touma I think his name was – asked.

“You think I want to be an ash maker in a world like this? My mother was disgraced, making me a disgrace to our nation as well. This wasn’t the life I wanted for myself,” I rambled.

“She’s more than a disgrace,” the second man whispered to Touma, but still loud enough for me to hear him.

“Quiet, Matsu. We do not know what this girl is capable of. We do not want to risk her bringing more damage upon us than she already has,” Touma whispered, yet again still louder for me to hear.

“You idiots do know that I can hear everything you’re saying, right?” I asked.

Matsu glared at me, “Shut your mouth, _ash maker_.”

“Forgive my accomplice, young miss. As you would imagine we are often wary of strangers trespassing in our land, let alone those who can firebend,” Touma apologised.

“That is quite alright. It’s not like it wouldn’t be the first time people have scorned at me,” I said.

“Why are you being civil with her? Not only is she a pathetic ash maker, she just ruined our best chance at getting some good cash. Think of the money we could’ve gotten for that beast!” Matsu argued.

“For one thing, that ‘beast’ wasn’t yours so you had no right to take it. And if you’re that desperate for money, why don’t you just get an actual job instead of stealing what belongs to someone else,” I reasoned.

“I didn’t see a name tag on it,” Matsu fought back.

I rolled my eyes, “It shouldn’t need a name tag. It should be pretty obvious that that flying bison belongs to the Avatar since it’s the only flying bison in existence.”

“You mean that thing belonged to the Avatar? Damnit, we could’ve ransomed him off and gotten set for life! Now you’ve really fucked us up,” Matsu snapped.

“Matsu, enough! How many times have I told you not to speak to strangers that way? There is clearly more that we don’t know about this young lady so do yourself a favour and stop being such an ignorant prick,” Touma berated him.

I couldn’t help but smirk at that, “You should listen to your friend.”

Matsu scoffed, “He’s not my friend. We’re business partners.”

“Unfortunately,” Touma muttered.

“You know, we could get a lot for her sorry butt as a Fire Nation rat,” Matsu suggested.

“I’m not Fire Nation,” I argued.

“But you are a firebender,” Touma pointed out.

I sighed, “My mother is Earth Kingdom and my father is a Fire Nation rat. He and his men raided her town once and well… I was the result of that.”

Touma gave me a sympathetic look, “That must’ve been hard growing up with. We’ve met many hybrids throughout our travels and they have certainly had it rough growing up in a war-torn world.”

“It’s also something that people usually keep to themselves. They don’t just go about revealing themselves to complete strangers,” Matsu stated.

“You were scaring the animal. I wasn’t just going to stand by and let you abuse the poor thing when it had clearly already been through enough, no thanks to you two. No wonder he wanted to leave,” I said.

“Hey, in our defence that beast was in that condition when we found him,” Matsu argued.

“And you didn’t think to help him?” I asked.

“There’s nothing we can do about it now. It was a missed opportunity that we have to move on from, since we need to find something else to sustain ourselves,” Touma said.

I raised my eyebrows, “What do you mean?”

“Like Matsu said, we’re business partners. We spend our time travelling while we find worthy objects and sell them for money to make a living. That’s why we were trying to subdue the animal,” Touma explained.

“But since you let him get away, we’re now stuck with these useless knick-knacks until we get to the next town,” Matsu snapped.

“Speaking of knick-knacks… what do we have here?” Touma wondered as he picked up an object that was lying on the ground.

My eyes widened as I recognised the object as my sword, which I didn’t even realise that I’d dropped until now. I quickly ran towards Touma and yanked my sword away from him before putting it back in its place.

“ _That_ is mine,” I proclaimed.

“That craftsmanship is unlike anything that I have ever seen before,” Touma marvelled.

“That’s because it’s one of a kind, meaning that it’s the only one in existence,” I said.

“Where did you even get something like that from?” Touma questioned.

“It was given to me as a gift when I was younger. It’s my most prized possession,” I answered.

Matsu glanced down at the sword as it rested against my legs, “That sword actually does seem familiar…”

“Well, it’s not. Like I said, it’s one of a kind,” I stated.

“Excuse me, miss… I’m sorry, we didn’t get your name,” Touma addressed me.

“Meg. My name is Meg,” I lied, using the name I always used when I was in the Earth Kingdom.

“Since you interrupted our business and have now left us at a disadvantage, I was wondering if you would be interested in joining us on our endeavours until we reached the next town. It shouldn’t be too far away if that’s no trouble,” Touma offered.

“What are you doing, Touma?” Matsu hissed.

“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m offering her a job. It will only be temporary and un-payed of course, given the circumstances,” Touma said.

“But why _her_? She comes across as more trouble than she’s worth,” Matsu argued.

“Her youthful zest could be useful to us. I’m sure you remember the last time we had a young accomplice. He helped us out more than your ideas ever did,” Touma reasoned, causing Matsu to glare at him.

“Enough with your squabbling. I’ll join you on your job, but only until the next town. After that, you two losers can go on your own,” I agreed.

“Perfect, lets get moving on now,” Touma declared, either not noticing my insult or choosing to ignore it. He was quick to head off in the lead, leaving Matsu and I trailing behind, and the guy couldn’t have made it anymore obvious that he didn’t trust me, let alone like me.

“You might be on Touma’s good side, but you’re definitely not on mine. I’ve got my eyes on you,” Matsu hissed.

“Just keep them up and we’ll have no problem,” I quipped, smirking at the bemused look on Matsu’s face.

As I trailed behind Matsu and Touma, I couldn’t help but wonder if I had made the right decision in joining them. Although they seemed to know where they were going, and such information could be useful to me, I was still uncertain of my choice. I guess I’d have to wait and see how this little group worked out for me, even if I did have more reservations than hopes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was yet another chapter that started out tough to write, but once I got into it I was down with the flow. The bit on Piando sort of came out of nowhere, even though I wanted to put a moment of Abby’s training with him in the story somehow. As for Appa, Abby was always going to come across him while he was missing and I originally had another way for that to happen written before changing my mind since I’m indecisive like that. I’m actually surprised that I updated this on time for once, since I usually update just after my scheduled day for this story, lol. Let me tell you now, the next chapter will be the most climatic one yet, and for more reasons than one. I’ll leave you guys to speculate what’s gonna happen until then ;).


	44. When the Past Catches up With You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It feels like it’s been ages since I last updated this story, when in reality it’s only been three weeks, which isn’t that long considering my delays in previous updates. I’ve actually missed writing this story so much (since it’s my favourite one to write) so I’m glad that now I can finally put my focus back into writing since I’m on holidays until July :). This chapter is by far the one that I’ve anticipated writing the most, since it leads to the most climatic moment in the story so far. It takes place during City of Walls and Secrets. So, hold on tight and prepare yourselves for the chapter of all chapters.

So far, travelling with Touma and Matsu was incredibly awkward to say the least. It was fairly obvious that Matsu didn't like me, or at least didn't trust me while Touma was a lot more subtle about his dislike. He made it clear that he was only bringing me along for their own gain, which left me with nothing to achieve from this. For a moment I wondered what I was even doing with them since there really was nothing I could gain from this. In the end, I decided to try my luck with them since I might actually be able to find myself a place to stay once I was done with them.

If I was being completely honest, I'd much rather travelling alone since I didn't have anyone to hold me back. Then again, that was coming from someone who always did their dirty work on their own. It wasn't that I didn't like working with people, I just worked better on my own than I did with others. That was how I'd always been, since Daisuke had taught me to be self-sufficient since the beginning. He always said that needing help was a weakness, and I couldn't help but agree with him on that. How could you expect people to help you when you can't even help yourself?

Along the way, Touma and Matsu had asked my questions about my background, which I wasn't surprised by at all considering I had revealed to them that I was a firebender. I had stuck with my story that I was a hybrid, since those weren't actually that rare in the Earth Kingdom, whereas a hybrid would be caught dead in the Fire Nation. Surprisingly, they seemed to buy my story, or they were at least keeping their suspicion well hidden. If I were them, I wouldn't trust me no matter what, and I'm not just saying that because I'm me. It really isn't smart to trust a complete stranger who you barely met and is as much of a mystery to you as you are to them. But I guess some people are just more faithful than others.

Finally, we came across a rural town which was actually quit populous, so it seemed like we would be able to get something good from here. By the time we got there, I was already confident in my selling abilities, especially after that time I helped Dhatri and Xia with their work. I've always had a way with words, whether it be convincing people to do something or lying my way out of any situation. As we walked through the town, I couldn't help but notice how wary the whole place was. They practically looked at us like we were aliens and stayed as far away from us as possible. I wasn't sure if that was because of me, or if that's how they always reacted towards people.

"So, what do we do now?" I asked once we'd found the centre of the town.

"You can stay here and try to sell whatever we have to anybody who looks like they might have a lot of money. We'll split up and go on our own as well," Touma ordered.

"Don't screw up," Matsu pointed his finger at me.

I raised my eyebrows, "Or else what?"

"Or else… You know…" Matsu stammered.

"No, I really don't," I crossed my arms.

Touma shook his head, "We have no time to bicker. Let's get to business."

Smirking, I watched as Touma headed off with his gathered supplies while Matsu remained with me. My smirk turned into a scowl as Matsu glared at me. Whatever the reason was, he clearly disliked me, or at least didn't trust me. It was quite frankly annoying, since it wasn't like I'd done anything to convince him otherwise. Except if you count lying about my backstory, of course. But it wasn't like they knew I was lying.

"You heard Touma. Go do your work," I tutted.

Matsu's glare hardened, "Listen to me carefully,  _Meg_. You might be with us for the meantime, but I wouldn't get comfortable if I were you. We don't need any excess baggage, and we certainly don't need you."

"Am I supposed to feel threatened by that?" I asked.

"Just consider it a warning. Touma might be letting you stick around for the time being, but sooner or later he'll ditch you and we'll move on just like we always do. Then, your  _hybrid_ self will be left to fend for yourself," Touma seethed.

"So, you only hate me because I'm a hybrid?" I realised.

"It doesn't matter why I hate you. Simply because I won't have to deal with you for much longer," Touma said.

I rolled my eyes, "Okay, whatever you say."

After giving me one last glare, Matsu headed off to do his job which left me to myself. It was much better than being around Matsu and Touma, since I didn't feel on edge anymore. I just had to focus on getting as much money as possible to do my part so that I could be done with them. As much as I could've easily left on my own terms, I still wanted to do my biddings to make things even, despite the fact that I didn't think they deserved it. Well, Matsu didn't deserve it.

It was definitely awkward, standing out in the open with so many strangers since I mostly tried to stay as far away from the limelight during my travels. You never wanted to bring attention to yourself, especially if you didn't want it since you were a wanted criminal. At that thought, the nerves inside of me began to grow, since it could only take a deeper look at me to recognise who I was. I was willing to bet that my face was plastered all over the Earth Kingdom on a wanted poster, which meant that there was probably one somewhere in this town.

Shaking my head, I put my focus back on what I was supposed to be doing, and that was completing my part of the deal I made with Touma and Matsu. Using every tactic I could think of, I tried to swindle as much money as I could out of any stranger that passed me by. Unfortunately, people either weren't interested in what I had to sell or just didn't want to waste their time with me since nobody bothered to even stop when I tried to get their attention. This was frustrating to say the least, since all I wanted to do was get some money and give it to those two goons so I could be on my way.

"Come on, you guys want some nick-knacks? It'll only cost you a couple silver pieces," I tried bargaining as several people walked past me.

"Nobody wants your garbage," one man snapped.

I glared at him, "Yeah, well I don't want your crusty old money anyways!"

At that moment, I was beginning to think that maybe I wasn't as good as a salesperson as I thought I was, since I had barely managed to sell the stuff that I had been given. If I had actually been given junk that was worthwhile, I might've been able to do more with it but since I was left with the crap that they'd dumped on me, I had no choice but to make do with what I had.

"This isn't going as well as it needs to," I muttered frustratingly as I glanced down at the few silver pieces that I had. "Maybe I might have more luck in another area?"

Deciding to try my luck somewhere else, I gathered my stuff and headed off to who knows where. Even though Touma and Matsu had told me to meet them there, I just had to get back to that spot before they did. I was surprised by how much garbage Touma and Matsu actually had, since the stuff was hardly useful. No wonder I wasn't having any luck selling it. Who would want useless crap when they could spend their money on something better anyways?

As I walked around the town, I couldn't help but glance at my surroundings. It certainly wasn't a thriving town, but it wasn't one struck by poverty either. Compared to the Fire Nation, there were definitely more struggling areas in the Earth Kingdom, although the Fire Nation wasn't perfect in that aspect either. I knew for a fact that there were many villages in the Fire Nation that struggled to survive, like Jang Hui which was a fishing town that had been polluted once the army factory started making their weapons there. There were also other weaker parts of the Fire Nation, which I knew Fire Lord Ozai hadn't spared a single thought to. One thing for certain was that that man cared more about the Fire Nation's supremacy than his own people, which was pretty pathetic if you asked me. A great leader should care more about their people, not the way their country is perceived.

Ahead of me, I saw a kiosk which I figured might give me a good idea of what's around this place. There appeared to be a map so as I got closer, I started to check it out. However, that wasn't the only thing that caught my attention. Because hanging right on top of the map was a wanted poster. Of me.

Immediately, I ripped the poster off the kiosk as I let out a small shriek at the sight of my likeness being portrayed for everyone to see. Ironically, right next to my wanted poster was one of the Black Window, but that didn't bother me like this one did. At least people didn't know who the Black Widow was. But they certainly knew who I was. Whoever made this poster certainly paid attention to details, since practically every part of me was accurate. Even my sword was there, which was probably where Matsu had seen it from. Curiously, I gazed over the words written next to my picture as I quietly read them to myself.

"Wanted – Abby, formerly known as the Dragoness. She is fifteen-years-old and has blonde hair with blue/ember eyes. She has been declared a traitor after abandoning the Fire Nation and failing to obey her superiors. This traitor is one of the Fire Nations most renowned firebenders and is also proficient in the art of swordsmanship and hand-to-hand combat," I read before scowling at the last bit. "Hunters be cautious, by decree of Fire Lord Ozai, Princess Azula and General Daisuke."

This wasn't good. This definitely wasn't good. In that moment I realised that I couldn't stay in a town where my face was plastered all over the place and was considered an enemy to. I was more than willing to admit that I had made a mistake in coming here, since I had just made myself more vulnerable than ever.

"Well, it's nice to feel wanted. Even if it is for treachery," I muttered as I stuffed the poster in my pockets before walking as quickly as I could away form that kiosk.

Admittedly, I had never felt this nervous before. This was nothing compared to when I was in the Earth Kingdom before. At least then, I had the luxury of using my authority over them with my title. But since my title was nothing more than a bull's eye, I was more vulnerable than I had ever been before. I couldn't be in a town where not only was I wanted as an enemy, but as a criminal as well. I needed to get out of here now. Screw Touma and Matsu. They could get their own money.

Once I had decided that I was going to make a break for it, I simply dumped the stuff that I had been given before heading to the nearest exit that I could find. As long as I got out of here without being noticed by anyone, I should be fine. Since the universe just has it out for me, I barely even made it a few meters before someone was calling for my attention.

"You there! Stop where you are!" they yelled.

Slowly, I turned around to see several men making their way towards me. They looked buff, but I couldn't tell what it was that they wanted from me since they didn't look like any Earth Kingdom officials. I just knew that this wasn't just for a social call.

"Have I done something wrong?" I asked, hoping more than anything that all I had done was rip my wanted poster from the kiosk.

"You know exactly what you've done,  _Abby_ ," the man in the middle snarled.

My eyes widened as I recognised my name. Never before had I heard my name used in the Earth Kingdom by people I didn't know, since as far as they were aware I was Meg, the girl from the run-down town. But these guys knew who I was. It was then that I realised that to them I wasn't just an enemy, but a traitor as well.

"It looks like you're a long way from home," the man on the left growled.

"And I'm about to be even further away," I said.

Forgetting my plan about not being notice, I quickly sprinted away form them as fast as I could, not before unleashing a blast of fire to block them from following me. It's not like I wasn't doing any harm to myself, since they already knew I was Fire Nation. Besides, I figured that if I was gonna go out that I might as well go out in style.

"Don't let her get away!" I heard someone yell from behind me.

Knowing that I needed to create as much distance as I could from those guys, I caused as much mess and chaos as I could while I fled the town. The more chaos there was, the less time they had to follow me and I needed as much time on my hands as I could get. Suddenly, a blast of fire haltered me from my advance and I looked to my side to see one of my pursuers traversing across the roofs. Not wanting to let them catch me, I blasted my own fire through their own before jumping through it and sending a blast towards them for good measure.

Screams surrounded me as I fled the scene, and I couldn't help but feel bad for all of the damage that I had caused. Even though it wasn't exactly what I wanted to happen, I was more than willing to create destruction on my way out. But I had to rationalise that this was what I had to do to protect myself, even if it meant hurting others along the way. One thing that I had realised was that there wasn't anything you could do without people getting hurt, since that was just a part of life.

"Stop the ash maker!" another voice shouted, which I assumed came from one of the villagers since we didn't usually call ourselves ash makers.

Luckily, it seemed as though the voices were getting further away, so I just continued running like my life depended on it, which it partly did. Surprisingly, my legs seemed to be picking up more speed as I continued to run, which was just what I needed if I wanted to get out of here with my freedom still intact. I refused to be taken out of here in chains. There was no way that I was going to let that happen.

Suddenly, I felt a piercing pain shoot through my neck and I started to stumble as I made my way through the town. It took me a moment to recognise the feeling as a Shirshu spit dart, which I'd had used on me before. I quickly yanked the dart out of my neck, but the damage had already been done. My vision was already blurring and my body was beginning to seize up.

"No… No…" I murmured as I struggled to stay upright, crashing into anything and everything that was around me.

Eventually, my body collapsed onto the ground as I felt no more movement that could help me. Within no time, there was nothing I could do to save myself from my fate as I slipped into unconsciousness.

~*•°•*~

When I came to, my head was all groggy and it felt like I had a pounding headache. My body felt all tingly, which I assumed was a result of the Shirshu spit dart. It didn't take me long to realise that my hands and feet were bound together and that there was a gag shoved in my mouth. Then I realised that I also couldn't see anything and I figured that either the Shirshu spit dart had caused me to go blind or there was something covering my face. I was leaning more towards the former. The fact that whatever I was inside of kept on shaking, I assumed that it was moving and that I was still being taken to wherever they wanted me.

Slowly, I shifted myself into a comfortable position, or as comfortable as you could get when your hands and feet are bound together. Whoever had tied me up had certainly done a good job at it, since I could barely wriggle around. Once I was in the appropriate position, I took a deep breath before breathing out of my mouth, unleashing a small blast of fire which disintegrated my gag. That was pretty much all I could do for myself, since my hands and feet were tied so securely together that it was practically impossible to firebend myself out of my restraints. Nevertheless, I just sat back, lifted my feet up and did the only thing that I could think of.

I screamed. And kicked against whatever was keeping me from the outside world. Hopefully, whoever had taken me would get the message or somebody else would hear me and try to help me.

"I'm awake now! Let me out of this fucking space! Ya'll thought some gag could stop me, well you thought wrong! Now let me out of this fucking shit hole so I can kill whoever put me in here! I promise I'll try to be merciful if you do!" I screamed.

Either nobody was hearing me, or they were just ignoring me as I got no response whatsoever. So I just kept on kicking and screaming, hoping that they would just get fed up with me and dump me where I was. I'd much rather be dumped in the middle of nowhere than be stuck in this place with no idea where I was even going. Just that thought alone made me nervous, since I had no idea where I was going and I feared where I would find myself at the end.

"Come on! Just let me out of this fucking thing! I promise that I'll disappear and never do anything to bother anyone again! I just want to get out! Please!" I pleaded, only to get no response once again.

Realising that whatever attempts I made would be in vain, I gave up on my kicking and screaming as I laid helplessly on whatever I was inside of. This was the first time where I had ever truly felt helpless, since I was trapped with nowhere to go. And I just knew that I wouldn't be getting out of this situation easily.

"It's all my fault too," I muttered dejectedly. "I should've just stuck by myself. I bet that it was probably that weasel Matsu who turned me in. He's probably laughing at me right now."

It was hard for me to think of any bride side to this situation, since there practically was none. Not only was I trapped and tied together like an animal, I was probably being taken to face whatever horrible fate awaited me. One thing that I wasn't sure of was if I was being taken to face my punishment for what I'd done to the Earth Kingdom or the Fire Nation. Or both. That's one thing that I hated; the unknown since I really did have no idea what was going to happen to me and for the first time in my life, I was willing to admit that I was scared.

Fear had always been something that I looked down on or ignored since it never really affected me. But now I wasn't in a position to deny my fear, since it wasn't like I had reason to run from it now. All I could do was face my fear, regardless of whatever it was because that's all I could do given my current situation.

Suddenly, whatever I was inside of came to a halt as it shook violently. I heard a few rustling noises from outside before what sounded like a door being yanked open. When I felt the heat bracing my body, I knew that whoever had taken me had come to take me out. If my legs had just had a little bit more wriggle room, I would've been able to launch a blast of fire at whoever was there but unfortunately, I couldn't do that. I then felt myself being yanked up into a sitting position which only made me want to see whoever was behind this even more.

I then felt a hot breath against my ear as a stranger whispered into it, "If you try anything, we'll kill you on the spot."

"Isn't that what you're going to do anyways?" I quipped.

I heard a laugh, "No, we're not going to kill you. Though, we are taking you to someone who just might do that."

"Who?" I asked.

"Do you really think that we'd give you the answer to that question?" the rebuffed.

Sighing, I stayed mute at that response as I was pulled up onto my feet and dragged across the ground. The chains that were wrapped around me had been slightly loosened, but not enough for me to be able to make a break for it. I had never been more uncomfortable in my life with my ankles twisting on the ground. Whoever was dragging me seemed to have no care about my physical state. But then again, they were my captors so I shouldn't expect them to care about me whatsoever.

Since I still couldn't see anything that was around me, I decided to put my sensitive hearing to good use. It didn't sound like there was much around us, since all I could hear was their footsteps but since they weren't in sync, I assumed that there was more than one person with me. Wherever they were taking me had to be in the middle of nowhere, since there was practically no sign of life apart from me and my captors.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked.

"To face the consequences of your actions," someone replied.

I rolled my eyes, "Can you be more specific than that?"

"No. We'll be there soon enough anyways," the same voice answered.

"Can I at least know your names so I can tell you a part?" I queried.

"Stop talking," a different voice snapped.

"Why did we even get tasked with this job?" another voice asked.

"Because it's what we do, you moron," the first voice growled.

"Why can't we just dump her here?" one of them questioned.

"Because then we won't get paid. You were there when she briefed us. We had to get her to the designated location and only then would we get our money," the first voice replied.

"Whatever your job is, you guys really suck at it since I'm sure you're not supposed to be giving this stuff away to your prisoner," I quipped.

That seemed to shut them up as they stopped talking after that. Part of me wished that they'd kept talking, since maybe then they would've given something away that could've helped me figure out who I was going to come face to face with. But of course, I had to let my snarky attitude get in the way when I really needed to keep it at bay.

The further they took me, the more concerned I got about whatever was about to happen to me, since I knew that it couldn't be good. They hadn't either confirmed or denied if I'd live or die at the end of this, so I had no idea what my fate would be. For my sake, I just hoped that I'd be able to deal with whatever they'd throw at me. If I could handle my own sanity turning against me then surely, I should be able to handle this.

After what felt like a lifetime, we finally came to a stop and instead of shoving me down like I expected them to, they simply kept me standing. For a moment, I was confused until I felt them untying the chains that had restrained my arms and legs. Okay, this made no sense at all to just let me go like this, but then I realised that they probably weren't letting me go. Once I felt my arms and legs free, I couldn't help but stretch them out after they had been restricted for so long.

Unsure of what was happening next, I just stood there as I waited for whatever was about to happen to me. If I wasn't surprised already, I was even more surprised as my blindfold was suddenly pulled off from my face before I was blinded by the unexpected light that greeted me. But that wasn't the only thing that greeted me. Because standing opposite to me with the smuggest smirk on her face was none other than  _Azula_.

At first, I wasn't sure how to react since it had been a while since I last saw her. In fact, the last time I saw Azula was when we faced off against each other in that abandoned town alongside the Avatar. This definitely wasn't how I expected our 'reunion' to turn out but in hindsight, I shouldn't be surprised that she'd be behind this since I knew she was still in the Earth Kingdom.

"Well done, gentleman. You have completed your task well. You may leave now and collect your reward from where I told you to get it," Azula said.

Not too long after that, Azula and I were left by ourselves as we stared each other down. Judging by that smirk on her face, it was safe to assume that she was pretty happy about me being in this predicament, whereas I would much rather be anywhere but here. Since this was  _Azula_ that I was dealing with, I knew that I wouldn't be able to get out of here with just the click of my fingers. Maybe if I used my words, I could distract her to the point where I could make a break for it. At any other time, I'd be more than willing to launch in a duel with her, but since I wasn't exactly in the position to walk away with any battle scars, getting into a fight wasn't a good idea.

"Well, well, well," Azula drawled as she sauntered towards me with that smirk that I so badly wanted to wipe off her face. "Look what the sea lion dragged in."

I scoffed, "There was no sea lion. Just a bunch of idiots who didn't even do their job properly."

"They got you to me, didn't they?" Azula pointed out.

"I thought you didn't need anybody's help for anything," I smirked, noticing how that comment agitated Azula.

"Don't get me wrong, I would've much rather gotten you myself, but I didn't want to make a mess of things at that pretty little town you found yourself in. Because we both know how things would've ended up if I'd confronted you there," Azula said.

"Oh, how sweet. Princess Azula being considerate of others when she's usually a selfish cow," I snapped.

Azula glared at me, "Watch your tongue, Abby. Now, I have to ask, what in the name of Agni were you doing wandering around in plain sight? I was certainly surprised when I received a tip-off from that swindler that you were there."

"I knew it was Matsu," I muttered bitterly, so badly wishing that I could pound Matsu to pieces right now.

"Now, don't be mad at him. He's simply helped the inevitable. It was only a matter of time before our paths crossed again," Azula stated.

"I would've much rather never had to deal with you again," I snarled.

"Aw, are you still scared of me? Daisuke would be ashamed of you. But from what I gather, you don't really care what he thinks anymore," Azula commented.

"No, I don't," I proclaimed as I stood forward. "Why would I, when he preaches about superiority and being a part of the greatest civilisation in history when in reality, he's just a barbarian who's been corrupted by the propaganda of a pointless war that has done nothing to spread our greatness like it was supposed to?"

Azula narrowed her eyes, "You know, when I heard you were a traitor, I was actually quite surprised. Since every time I ever accused you of being such, you were adamant that you were not. Yet you were more than willing to proclaim your treachery, right in front of Daisuke."

I shrugged, "If I was going to turn, I might as well have declared it myself."

"Now, look at where it's gotten you. On the wrong side of the war. You've basically set yourself up for failure. I'd offer you a chance to redeem yourself, but pathetic individuals like you don't deserve redemption," Azula said.

"Some would say the same about you, Sunshine," I quipped, chuckling as Azula scowled at my old nickname for her.

"You watch your mouth, you traitor. Remember that you're talking to the Princess of the Fire Nation. I am your princess and you do not speak to me like that," Azula snapped.

I laughed, "You're not 'my princess.' I never once thought of you as such, since you're just a weak little girl who hides behind her daddy's power and allows him to make her do his dirty work for him."

"Just like you did with Daisuke?" Azula pointed out.

"Admittedly, you are right. But at least I had the guts to admit that. You would never turn against your precious father, even though he's the most despicable man on the planet. He burned your brother for Agni's sake, yet you just sat there with your twisted smirk, relishing in his suffering. That makes you no better than him," I rambled.

"And your point is?" Azula asked.

"Since you asked, I might as well make my thoughts clear. We were always told that Fire Lord Sozin started the war to spread our greatness with the rest of the world. To be honest, I believed that until I saw first hand just what sort of devastation and destruction it had brought to the world. We've done nothing to help the world when in actuality, we've only made things worse. This isn't about sharing our peace, it's become a battle for dominance, since all Fire Lord Ozai wants is power," I took a deep breath before continuing on, since I wasn't done just yet.

"While I truly believe that Fire Lord Sozin's intentions were from a good place, it's turned into something that is beyond comprehension. If he truly wanted to spread our peace and prosperity, he never would've launched a genocide on the Air Nomads, when they were pacifists. There would've been no need to kill helpless people in the name of spreading our so-called peace. It's actually ironic, how Sozin only wanted to spread our way of life, when all he's done is leave a trail of pain and suffering," I finished.

"You sound like my uncle," Azula muttered disgustedly.

"I'll take that as a compliment," I crossed my arms triumphantly.

"It's worth mentioning that your treachery isn't the only thing that I've heard about you. I've also heard that you'd lost your mind and after listening to what you just said, you've certainly lost the plot. Because you never would've said anything like that not too long ago. So, if you plead insanity your punishment might not be as severe as it normally would be," Azula commented.

I rolled my eyes, "You don't need to lecture me about the Fire Nation's fucked up legal system. And my sanity is perfectly intact, thank you very much. Those ramblings came from a world of experience, experience that you've surely had but never acknowledged because you're too delusional to make sense of it."

"You're delusional for thinking that ludicrous baloney is even worth mentioning. You've been spending way too much time with those peasants," Azula uttered.

"Hey, they're not peasants. It's funny cause we always preached how anyone but the Fire Nation below us were scum, when we couldn't be further from the truth. The Water Tribe citizens aren't washed-up peasants like we've always said they were. They're brave warriors whose civilisation is far beyond anything that we could dream of. The people of the Earth Kingdom are not scum, they are strong and capable of anything that they put their minds to. And the Air Nomad's aren't weak wastes of space, they're peaceful egalitarians whose sense of humour isn't that bad. We've had it wrong the whole time. They're not the barbarians, we are," I declared.

I could see the veins popping in Azula's head, and I just knew that what I was saying was getting to her. It was only a matter of time before she burst and laid out her anger on me, which I was prepared to take.

"It's clear to me that you've filled your head with lies and that this isn't the result of your limited sanity. There is no hope for you now, you've done this to yourself," Azula stated.

"And I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat," I added.

"You are now no longer a welcome member of the Fire Nation and you have made it quite clear that you do not welcome us either. Not only have you disgraced our nation, but you've disgraced yourself, me, Fire Lord Ozai and Daisuke. This treachery will not be tolerated anymore and there's only one way to resolve this," Azula proclaimed.

There was no need for Azula to go on any further, since I knew exactly where this was going. In the Fire Nation, if you disgrace yourself or anyone else, there was only one way to redeem yourself. By winning an Agni Kai.

Almost as if we both understood what was about to happen, Azula got into her own attacking position with her fingers outstretched like she always had them. While I held my right hand up and kept my left one outstretched as I prepared to fight for my survival. For a moment, we just stood there in silence, making it seem as like neither one of us wanted to make the first move.

Of course, it had to happen eventually and Azula being Azula made sure she got in there first, blasting a ball of fire at my direction, which I leaped out of the way from to dodge. Once I did that, I thrusted my right arm up while erecting a blaze of fire towards Azula. We charged towards each other, ready to do whatever it took to win. When we clashed, Azula kicked a blast of fire at me while I propelled myself into the air, punching one down at her for good measure, which she was easily able to evade.

Once my feet landed on the ground, I quickly charged towards Azula, using my fire jets for speed. They certainly came in handy when I needed them. As I glided across the ground, I couldn't help but smirk, knowing that Azula probably thought she had my fighting style all figured out and that she could easily take me. What she didn't know was that just like her, I was capable of lightning generation and I was prepared to use it when the time was right. When we were barely a few meters away from each other, we launched a fire blast which in return created a large explosion that sent us both hurling backwards a few feet.

Neither of us were willing to go down that easily, so we quickly got back into action, sending equally powerful attacks the others way. My firebending had certainly gotten stronger since I learned the true meaning of it from the dragons, which I was glad for since I knew it would come in handy now. Azula and I danced around each other as we evaded our own attacks, refusing to let the other win or allow them to have any sort of leverage. At one point, Azula launched a massive pinwheel across the ground towards me, with a size that I never even thought existed. Thinking quickly, I firebended a blast towards the ground which catapulted myself into the air before swinging my heel down and launching an arc of fire at the pinwheel, destroying it while leaving remnants of the blue fire scattered all over the place.

When I landed back on the ground my arms were still extended together just in time to withstand another attack that Azula sent towards me. Instead of challenging her, I simply took the blasts head on as I backed away, waiting until she ran out of stamina to keep it up. While Azula might be better suited as an attacker, my defence skills were far more adaptable and proficient then hers were. If we didn't hate each other's guts, we might actually make a good team. Too bad that would never happen.

Just as I suspected, Azula ran out of power to fuel her blasts and I used that opportunity to skate to the side using my firebending to hover above the ground. At the same time, I thrusted several blasts of fire in Azula's direction, which she managed to avoid by doing the exact same movements as me. We continued to move around in circles while sending small attacks the others way, hoping to find an opening of some sorts. Unlike our other fights where we hurled insults each other's way, this one was more focused as we were both equally determined to put an end to the other once and for all.

Eventually, we got tired of circling each other and generated our own fire whips that collided together as we duelled. In that moment, I felt like I could keep up my stamina and eventually overpower her. I was feeling confident and poised, unlike the recent times I faced off against Azula where my sanity always got in the way. Ironically, Azula seemed to be getting more frustrated by the minute. I wasn't sure if that was because I was matching her attacks, or if it was because I hadn't lost yet. Probably both.

"Getting tired yet?" I challenged.

"NEVER!" Azula yelled.

Blue fire clashed with red as our battle raged on, getting more intense by the minute. It was clear that the only way this battle would end was if one of us surrendered or before one of us die. Given our previous track record, it was most likely that the former would be the case. But I was determined to make sure that it was Azula who would be the causality of our duel, and not me. I had much more to live for than she did. I wasn't ready to go just yet.

Our battle got so intense the more it went on. I was performing moves that I never even knew I could do. All I knew was that I had to pull out all the stops to ensure that I came out on top. I refused to let Azula beat me. There was no way that I was going to let her have this easily. If by some chance she beat me, I was going to make her work for it.

With us standing opposite to each other, Azula thrusted her arms down as she traversed across the rocky ground towards me. When the time was right, I launched myself up into the air to avoid her attack. Just when I thought I was in the clear, I realised that I was mistaken as I saw Azula launch a powerful fire comet towards me, which I used my rocket jets to avoid. This time, when I landed on the ground I propelled myself towards Azula, ready to give her a one heck of an attack. Once my feet had enough power, I turned my back onto the ground as I spun my legs around, creating a blazing arc that headed towards Azula. Not only did my attack send her hurling backwards, it also made me take a few steps back as I quickly regained my bearings, ready to deliver one final blow.

"I bet you thought you had me figured out, Azula. Didn't you? Well, you thought wrong because take a look at this!" I shouted.

Taking a deep breath, I emptied my mind of all its thoughts and laced my fingers together as I prepared myself for my next move. Once my mind was at ease, I pulled my hands apart as I stretched my fingers outwards and moved them around in arcs. At first, nothing happened until I could hear the positive and negative energies crackling around me in the form of lightning. Glancing at Azula, I could see that she was stunned by my sudden development and I smirked knowing that I had caused her to look that way.

However, Azula wasn't one to let shock stop her as she quickly got into her own stance before she too generated her own bolt of lightning. I knew then that this would come down to whoever fired their bolt first, and that had to be me. Mine had to be perfect enough to make a lasting wound, but not enough to kill her so that she'd finally get the message and leave me alone. Killing her would do nothing but bring me more trouble, so unfortunately that wasn't an option.

We both seemed to think of the perfect moment to strike, when at the exact same time, two dazzling bolts of electricity came hurling towards each other. It was unlike anything that I had ever seen before, even though I barely had time to register what was happening around me. I just knew that mine had to strike her before she got me.

Only that's not what happened.

When the pain hit me, it was instant. It wasn't something that took me a moment to realise that had happened. I knew what had happened. My luck had run out and now, I was paying the price for it as an overwhelming feeling of pain surged through my body. The impact of the lightning attack was so powerful that it sent me hurling into the air, with my head slamming on the ground to break my fall, which only sent more pain through my body.

Helplessly, I laid on the ground in pain as I felt any strength that I had left drizzle out from me. Glancing down, I winced in pain as I saw the remnants of Azula's lightning strike on the left side of my stomach. Thinking quickly, I waited until the perfect moment before I extracted the lightning from my body and releasing it into the air, hoping that my last ditch effort to save myself had worked.

My hope seemed to plunder as well my desire to stay conscious diminished and I slowly lost sight of everything that was around me. They say that when you die, your life flashes before your eyes. All I got was this blinding light that only made me want to give into the urge of acceptance. Accepting that I had lost. Because that was what happened. I didn't win, right when I needed to the most.

Azula had won, and I had lost. Now I was paying the price for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Talk about one heck of a chapter, am I right? I told you guys that the last time Abby and Azula saw each other wouldn’t be the last time. It’s worth mentioning that Abby referred to Azula as her name in her thoughts whereas before, it was only Sunshine. That’s because Abby doesn’t care about whoever she has to deal anymore so even though she might be Azula in her thoughts, she’ll always be Sunshine to her. That, or the girl that struck her with lightning. If I’m being completely honest, I’m not exactly happy with how the fight scene turned out so let me know what you guys think. Also, the Fire Nation town that Abby referred to was the same town that the Gaang visited in the Painted Lady.


	45. Fate to Contemplate

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, after the last chapter I was gonna go on a small hiatus, but since I’ve already kept you guts waiting long enough over the past few months that I might as well give you this update now. It’s worth mentioning that from here on out, things might get a bit dark in this story for obvious reasons so if any of it makes you uncomfortable, don’t feel obligated to keep reading. This chapter takes place before Lake Laogai, so Abby’s been unconscious for roughly three weeks now.

_Previously, on Blinding Horizon…_

_Zuko turned to face the treacherous sage. “Why did you help the Avatar?”_

_“Because it was once the sages’ duty. It is still our duty,” He answered._

_I glared at him. “I hope you enjoy the rest of your life rotting away in prison. I’ve heard that traitors are treated excellently in prison.”_

*:･✧*:･ﾟ✧

_“Well, isn’t this just special. The Dragoness, at my disposal,” the blue dragon taunted as it circled my suspending cage._

_“Let me out of this thing now and I’ll show you just why that’s my name!” I demanded._

_The blue dragon laughed, “As entertaining as that sounds, I’d much rather finish you off quickly and easily!”_

_And with that, the blue dragon came flying towards me before opening it’s mouth and swallowing me down. I let out another scream as I went down the dragon’s stomach, hearing it’s booming voice from outside its body._

_“You’re weak! You do not deserve your title! You never did! Now it’s time to pay for your mistakes!”_

*:･✧*:･ﾟ✧

_“I will leave you with one final word of advice, when things seem bleak and you think you’re at your wits end, don’t lose sight of your inner strength because it will get you through those times of darkness. I wish you luck, young firebender and may you be blessed with the fortune of Agni in your travels. Farewell, young one,” Aunt Wu said before leaving me by myself._

*:･✧*:･ﾟ✧

_Helplessly, I laid on the ground in pain as I felt any strength that I had left drizzle out from me. Glancing down, I winced in pain as I saw the remnants of Azula’s lightning strike on the left side of my stomach. Thinking quickly, I waited until the perfect moment before I extracted the lightning from my body and releasing it into the air, hoping that my last ditch effort to save myself had worked._

_My hope seemed to plunder as well my desire to stay conscious diminished and I slowly lost sight of everything that was around me. They say that when you die, your life flashes before your eyes. All I got was this blinding light that only made me want to give into the urge of acceptance. Accepting that I had lost. Because that was what happened. I didn’t win, right when I needed to the most._

_Azula had won, and I had lost. Now I was paying the price for it._

*:･✧*:･ﾟ✧

In all honesty, when Azula shot me with lightning I was more than expecting myself to never wake up again. It’s pretty unheard of for anyone to survive a lightning strike, given their lethality. So, when my eyes opened for the first time in I don’t know how long, I honestly thought I was waking up in heaven. Or hell. All I could see was darkness, so I wasn’t really sure where I was. As I regained my bearings, I quickly realised just how freaking cold it was in wherever I was. That was before I felt pain. Lots and lots of pain.

Never before in my life had I ever felt pain as excruciating as the pain I felt now. Not even the burn marks Daisuke gave me compared to this pain. I guess that’s because then it was firebending involved and only now it was lightning. Eventually, my eyes remained fully open and I was able to get a grip of wherever I was. Just like before, all I could see was darkness. There was no sign of any light except for the light that came through what I assumed was the door. It was then that I realised that I wasn’t free, I was a prisoner.

The realisation didn’t shock me that much, since it didn’t really come as a surprise to me that Azula wouldn’t just leave me there to bleed out. She probably made sure that I’d survive, just so that she could mock me with my failure for the rest of my life. Either way, I would be reminded of my failure for the rest of my life with the battle scar that was sure to have been left behind.

Gently, I lifted my hand up before placing it over the part of my stomach which had the most pain. That wasn’t really a smart thing to do, since almost instantly I hissed at my own touch. Carefully, I lifted up the shirt that I certainly wasn’t wearing before, only to see a bandage wrapped around my stomach. I grimaced at the stains of what had to be my blood on it. There was nothing more that I wanted to do than to fix whatever scar had been left behind, but I barely had any energy to move around.

Almost instinctively, I reached for the part of me where my sword always rested before realising that I had to have lost it during the fiasco at the village. As much as it pained me to admit, I knew that there was every chance that I’d never lay my eyes on my one of a kind sword ever again, and I only had myself to blame for that.

For the first time in my life, I felt like there was nothing I could do to escape the situation that I had unwittingly put myself in. What could I do, when I was weaker than I’d ever been before? How could I do anything, when the freezing cold air was preventing me from making any solid movements? With one last glance down at the bandage that was messily wrapped around my stomach, I laid my head down as I closed my eyes, knowing that if there was anything I could do for myself, it was to rest as long as I could.

~*•°•*~

Days passed since I first woke up. In that time, I drifted in out of consciousness, not bothering to stay awake for any long period of time since there was nothing I could do considering the pain that I was in. Every time I opened my eyes, I was greeted with the agonising pain that filled my body. To say that it was frustrating would be an understatement, since there was nothing more that I wanted to do than to be able to move my body freely without the restraints of my injury. Unfortunately, that wasn’t a possibility for me. Azula had made sure of that.

Every time I thought about that sadistic bitch who had put me in this situation, my stomach turned. Then again, I wasn’t sure if it was because I was hungry or if it was because of my extreme hatred for Azula. Sure, I had hated her before. Heck, I’d always hated her. Only now it was more than that. I despised her. If I ever got the chance to redeem myself with Azula, I’d take that opportunity in a heartbeat, even if it meant that I had to go down with her. People like her didn’t deserve to walk this planet. But I guess some would say the same about me too.

One thing that frustrated me the most about this cell that I was locked in was the boredom and the silence. The silence was killing me. And when I was awake, there was hardly anything I could do except berate myself for my failures. It also frustrated me to no end that I had no idea where I was. As far as I was aware, I was just in a cell. But where exactly was a mystery to me. For all I knew, I could be locked somewhere underneath the Fire Lord’s palace. That wouldn’t surprise me, since I knew all about the secret tunnels that were hidden underneath the capital city.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of being locked up in my cell alone, I heard the sound of the door opening. Not wanting to face whoever had come to berate me, I simply turned my back to them as I heard their footsteps approach. Part of me was expecting it to be Azula, since now I was probably her most prized possession. Even though I would never classify myself as such, I might as well be since I was a prisoner now.

“It’s good to see that you’re awake now,” a gruff voice greeted me from behind.

While the words might have been nice, I knew that whoever it was would be anything but that. The voice was unrecognisable to me, so I had no idea who had come to see me and to be honest, I didn’t care who it was. I just wanted them to leave me alone.

“I’ve heard a lot about you, Abby. How could I not, considering you were the famed Dragoness? An icon to any firebending trainee. Only now your title is worthless, since you do not have the common decency to even stay true to your values. You’re a disgrace,” they berated me.

Yeah, like that wasn’t anything new to me. I knew very well that by abandoning the Fire Nation that I’d be losing every luxury that I once had, including my title that I had once proclaimed like a badge of honour. Only now I realised that title meant nothing to me, and not just because it was now stripped from me.

“Aren’t you going to say anything?” they asked.

Since I didn’t want to give whoever it was the satisfaction of me responding to them, I just shook my head in response to their question. When I didn’t hear anything after that, I thought that maybe whoever it was took the hint and left me alone. Of course, nothing is ever that easy for me.

“Listen here, you treacherous scum. While you are here with me you _will_ treat me with the respect that I deserve. The respect that you no longer have. You will do as I say or pay the price. Do I make myself clear?” they threatened me.

Like every other time they had spoken to me, I just sat there in silence. Under any other circumstances, whoever this was wouldn’t intimidate me whatsoever. But since I was stripped of any power that I had, I was somewhat apprehensive about being in their presence.

“Didn’t you learn any manners? Show some respect and look me in the eye when I talk to you!” the yelled.

Sighing, I glanced over my shoulder to see a tall man clad in a Fire Nation military uniform. He wasn’t anyone that I had seen before, so I still had no idea who he was. Not that it mattered, anyways.

“There, isn’t that better?” they asked with a smirk. “Now go back to your misery. You’ll have food delivered to you shortly. Not that you deserve it.”

With that, the man slammed the door shut leaving me alone once again. At the mention of food, my stomach growled since it had probably been weeks since I had my last meal. There was nothing that I wanted more than I nice, delicious meal to satisfy my hunger. But considering my status as a prisoner, I knew that I wouldn’t be getting any luxurious food here. I was a prisoner, and I was going to be treated as such.

~*•°•*~

After my visit from the man, he wasn’t the only person who came to visit me. Several other people would barge into my cell whenever they felt like it, only to mock me and make me feel even worse than what I already did. That was probably what they were aiming to do anyways, which they were unfortunately succeeding in. As much as I tried to remind myself that it was just them trying to mess with me, I couldn’t deny the truth in their words.

The truth was, that I was a failure. While I might not have admitted to that before, that was only because then I didn’t have a reason to be referred to as such. After losing my freedom and that Agni Kai to Azula, I had every right to be called a failure. That was one of the words that stuck to me the most, since in my heart I knew that I wasn’t being a traitor, and that I was doing the right thing. But it’s hard to convince people otherwise when they’re already set in their ways.

Nobody ever had anything worthwhile to say to me, since they all said pretty much the same thing; that I was a good for nothing traitor who deserved to rot in misery. In all honesty, I didn’t really feel anything apart from pain and anger, which was beginning to make me lose sight of the bigger picture. For the past few weeks, I’d been able to let go of my anger but now it was making its resurgence against my will. I couldn’t help but feel angry given my current situation. Anybody would feel angry if they were me. I just tried my best not to let it consume me, since I knew what affect anger could have on a person.

If you had asked me where I saw myself now a year ago, I would’ve said without a doubt that I’d be continuing my training to become what I aspired to be. Only now I wasn’t doing any of that, since I was left in a cell to ponder my actions. Maybe if I hadn’t been so blind for so long, I could’ve been able to find a better place for me in this world. Maybe then I wouldn’t be locked in a cell with only my thoughts and those irritating visitors for company.

One thing that I did to keep myself sane was to think of what little good memories I actually had. While there wasn’t that many of them, there were still a few that gave me a feeling of nostalgia. Even from my fucked up childhood there were the occasional good memories. I also tried to think about the people I’d met, like Jae, Xia, Dhatri and Osamu. The people who had been kind to me despite the fact that they had every reason to treat me like dirt.

Unfortunately, when I thought about those people I missed, I thought about everything else that I missed. Like my sword and even the necklace that Xia had made me. I couldn’t help but wonder where they had ended up, but that thought alone angered me since that stuff should belong to me because it’s mine and nobody else’s.

Sometimes I wondered how everything was going back in the Fire Nation. Sure, they had known that I was a traitor after my abandonment. But I wonder if they knew that I was now locked up in a rusty old prison cell. Most of the people would be happy that I was no longer a liability, while there were very few who would actually be concerned about my wellbeing, like Kenji, Liling and Seung. But eventually I would just be an old memory to them. They would soon forget about me, since they didn’t really have any reason to remember me. That thought on its own hurt, knowing that there wasn’t anybody who would really miss me now that I was gone. Maybe if I hadn’t been such a bitch my whole life there would actually be people who cared about me.

It took me some time before I finally managed to get some strength back. While I was still somewhat weak from the wound that I had sustained, I started to feel better with each passing moment. Knowing that my strength would eventually return, I knew that I had to wait patiently before I could make any grand escape attempt. Rather than just go for it, I needed to sit back and gather intel before I could devise the perfect plan to break free. In some situations it was better to think on your feet, but this was one of those times where everything had to be precise. There could be no room for any mistakes, not when my freedom was on the line.

As I leaned against the cold wall of my lonely cell with only my body to keep myself warm, there was nothing I could do except hope a miracle, even though I didn’t really believe in miracles. But if I ever needed a miracle in my life, it would be now. Given my current physical state, I wasn’t so sure how long I would last in this place. But I just tried to think positive, even if my mind was overwhelmed with negativity.

Suddenly, a mysterious fog filled my cell as it swept towards me. Since there was nowhere for me to go, I just remained in my corner as I waited for it to disappear, which it eventually did. Only it somehow turned into a mystical golden bird endowed with a nimbus and a crest of feathers on its head as its piercing sapphire eyes focused on me. It took me a moment to recognise the bird as Saori, my guide from not too long ago.

“S-Saori?” I acknowledged her.

 **“Yes, child. It is me,”** Saori replied.

“Come to mock me like everyone else?” I snapped, not appreciating her presence at this very moment.

 **“Why would I come to mock you when I am here to help you?”** Saori asked.

I scoffed, “I don’t want your help. How could you possibly help me anyways when you’re just a spirit? And why would I want your help when you’re the reason why I’m in here.”

 **“What makes you say that?”** Saori questioned.

“Because you were the one who told me to abandon everything I knew. That’s exactly what I did and now look at where I am!” I hissed.

 **“My dear, it is you who made that decision on your own. I merely guided you along the way. That was supposed to be my only appearance in your life. Only now I can see that you’ll be needing me more than you might think,”** Saori explained.

“What, can you see the future or something?” I asked sarcastically.

Saori chuckled, **“No, I cannot. But it should be obvious that you are in for a struggle, child. You are in the hands of the same people who want to destroy you, and they will do whatever it takes to achieve that.”**

“If they wanted to ‘destroy’ me they would’ve just let me die,” I pointed out.

 **“You misunderstood me. I do not mean physically destroy you, but to destroy you emotionally,”** Saori clarified.

“How could they do that?” I queried.

 **“My dear, you of all people should know that sometimes the world is such a dark, dark place. I wish I could offer you anymore insight, but that is all I know I’m afraid,”** Saori said.

“I thought spirits were supposed to be all-mighty powerful beings,” I snapped.

 **“That is where you are wrong, child. We cannot be ‘all-mighty powerful beings’ when we’re not even beings ourselves. There is only so much of the mortal world that we can see,”** Saori explained.

I sighed, “You said that things would become clearer once I realised my destiny. Well, I’ve realised my destiny and everything has never been this unclear to me. I don’t even know what my own fate will hold for me.”

 **“It should come as no surprise to you my dear that life isn’t always as easy as we wish it was. There are many obstacles that anyone must face before they can truly see what they’ve been missing. That goes for you too,”** Saori rumbled.

I groaned, “Why can’t _one_ thing just be easy?”

 **“I see your temper has not changed much since the last time we spoke,”** Saori observed with a chuckle. **“I’m running on limited time, child so I must wrap this up. While your future might have many uncertainties, I can only tell you to keep fighting with every ounce of strength that you have. Your life will depend on it.”**

Before I even got a chance to reply, Saori suddenly flapped her wings before shooting up through the roof, leaving me alone once again. Her talk had done little to put me at ease when in actuality, it only made me feel worse and even more apprehensive about whatever was to come my way. All I could do was sit back and rest and let everything unravel before my eyes, no matter how much I didn’t want to.

~*•°•*~

Time seemed to tick by slowly when your imprisoned against your will. Mainly because there’s hardly anything for you to do when you’re locked up in a cell. Of course, there were my spontaneous visits from people who I’d never met before as they mocked me with their presence. It wasn’t like I was new to mockery, since there had been plenty of times when I’d been mocked like I currently was. As much as I tried to ignore whatever those bastards had to say, it was hard not to ignore the truth in their words.

Failure had never hurt so much as it did now. Most failures don’t often leave with a painful scar to show for it, but I guess I was a special case. If there was one thing that would be the end of me, it would be knowing that I had my own fate in my own hands and I completely blew it. If I had just managed to beat Azula I wouldn’t be in this predicament. If I had just shot my lightning a second earlier, she would be the one with a permanent scar, not me. Everything could’ve turned out differently if I had just taken a different course of action. Only I didn’t and now I was paying the price for my misdemeanours.

With very little to keep me occupied, I pondered Saori’s words from her earlier visit. She hadn’t made an appearance since then, and I had a feeling that it would be a while before she came to visit me again. Saori had basically said that things would only get worse from here on out. As much as I wanted to argue against that, I would be naïve to think that things would just be smooth sailing for me. There was no telling what my _visitors_ had install for me. For my sake, I just hoped that I could handle it.

Almost as if fate was truly against me, the door to my cell had opened once again. It had been a few hours since my last visit and they often came to me at random times. Only this time, this visitor appeared to be very different from the others. Their face was masked and they weren’t in the normal clothes my visitors wore. That was enough indication to make me realise that maybe this wouldn’t be like my normal visits.

“Ah, how nice is it to see you again. I cannot say how much joy it gives me to see your suffering. Only now, your suffering is about to get a whole lot worse,” they proclaimed in a deep voice which made it difficult to identify if they were male or female.

What happened next was unexpected as the visitor pulled out a key which they used to unlock my cell and lock it shut from the inside. This was the first time that any of them had entered my cell, and I was unsure of what to make of this. But the proximity did give me better look of whoever was with me, which didn’t really help at all since they were wearing a mask and a cloak to hide their identity.

Slowly, they pulled something out from their cloak and my eyes widened as I recognised it as large metal hammer. Now, I can’t read minds but I’m pretty sure that whoever it was wasn’t intending on use it for any home improvements.

“Now, this might hurt a bit,” they stated as they lifted the hammer to their hands. “Who am I kidding? It’s going to hurt _a lot_.”

As they made their steps towards me, I didn’t even bother trying to move out of their way since there was nowhere for me to go. Even if I didn’t want to, I’d have no choice but to face whatever ‘punishment’ they were about to bring my way. And just like that, my nightmare began. Only it wasn’t a nightmare. It was reality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That chapter wasn’t really as long as I thought it would be which might very well be the case from now on. Even the bit with Saori was pulled out of nowhere since I didn’t want to leave the chapter that short. Until things pick up again, you can expect shorter updates for the time being but it won’t be long before the story goes back to the hectic mess it’s always been. In the meantime, leave me with you thoughts and theories and I’ll get back to you guys in the next chapter.


	46. Psychological Warfare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place a few days after the last one, so still before Lake Laogai in the Gaang’s timeline. As I mentioned last chapter, things are going to get a bit dark in this story now and this chapter could get very heavy, since there are descriptions of torture. If that’s not your thing, then I suggest that you turn away now. You have been warned.

Ever since I had regained consciousness, there was nothing that I wished more than to stay unconscious. Only because every time I opened my eyes, there was suffering. My most recent suffering came at the hands of the unknown figure who had entered my cell, only to bash my face in with his hammer. Now, my face was quite literally fucked up and it hurt to make any physical movements with it. Thanks to the puddle of water that was taunting me in my cell, I was able to see exactly what damage had been inflicted upon me. I had a blackened right eye along with a huge gash on the right side of my head. There was a cut below my left eye and I also had a punctured lip along with a bruise on my neck.

If I was being honest, I was surprised that whoever it was hadn’t done worse to me. It was clear that they despised me and relished in my suffering, so why not make the most of their opportunity to do more? The pain from my newly acquired wounds only made things worse, since my scar still hurt every time I made an effort to move. For the most part, I remained motionless in my cell since it was easier to do nothing than it was to make any sort of movements. Besides, I figured that I’d need as much healing time as I could get before I received my next visitor.

As if on cue, the door to my cell opened before a figure walked inside. The closer they got, the more features of them I could make out. They were female, which wasn’t anything unheard of although they hadn’t visited me before. When it came to opportunities in the Fire Nation, we were more egalitarian compared to other nations. Our female warriors were just as ruthless as our men, and I expected my new visitor to be nothing different from the rest.

“Here is your lunch,” she said as she pushed it into my cell. “I snuck in some healing herbs in your tea, so that you can find an easier recovery. I’m sure you’ll need it.”

I narrowed my eyebrows at her gesture – wincing as I did so because of the pain in my face. This was the first time that someone hadn’t come to visit me to mock me. Surely, she must’ve had some ulterior motives on her own. There was no plausible reason as to why she would do this for me, even if it was just a small gesture.

“It might come as a surprise to you, but I do not agree with how our nation is treating you. That is why I want you to get better, even if there isn’t much that I can do,” the woman sighed. “I’m not expecting you to respond to me, since I would understand why you wouldn’t. I just want you to know that you have someone in your corner, someone who doesn’t hate your guts like everyone else.”

My mind was boggling at each word that she spoke. This was certainly not the visit that I was expecting. Normally, I would consider myself to be good at reading people, and I was leaning more towards her intentions being genuine rather than misleading. At least I hoped they were.

“You should know that you’ve been in here for exactly twenty-five days. You were unconscious for two and a half weeks, understandably so. Once the guards were sure that you would survive, they made no further effort in making your recover any easier,” she explained.

_No kidding._

“It is a miracle that you did survive, even more so that you were able to wake up in the time that you did. Nobody has ever been known to survive a lightning strike. You’re very lucky to have escaped that brush with death,” she said.

_Then how come I don’t feel lucky._

“This is all the time that I have with you for now, but I promise that I will make an effort to visit you soon,” the guard stated as she stood up to leave my cell before turning to face me one final time. “My name is Ming, by the way.”

With that, Ming walked out of my lonely cell before the door was slammed shut once again, leaving me with nothing but the tray of food at my disposal. Since it was one of the rare times that I actually got food, I quickly scoffed down what little of it had been given to me. Whenever they fed me, it was only with small meals that really didn’t offer me that much but I wasn’t about to turn down an offer of food. Given my current situation, I was lucky if I received more than one meal of food a day. It didn’t take me long to figure out that they weren’t exactly trying to kill me, but they didn’t want me to get any better either. If they wanted to kill me, they wouldn’t have made any effort to save me. They would’ve just left me to die, which was what I was starting to wish was what had happened to me instead. Death would’ve been a much more pleasant outcome than what I had gotten.

Admittedly, I was hardly much of a tea drinker. That stuff disgusted me and I always made an effort not to drink it. Under these circumstances, I needed to make use of every luxury that I was given. As I swallowed the drink which was by no means delicious to me, I could taste the healing herbs that Ming had snuck into the drink. In that moment, I had never been more grateful to anyone in my life since I certainly felt their effect. But considering what I had faced so far, I knew that I’d be needing more of those healing herbs if I was going to make it through this.

Sighing, I glanced down at the empty food tray in my cell which now served no purpose to me. Wanting nothing more than to rest, I carefully crawled to the corner of my cell before curling up into a ball to keep myself warm. Once I was as comfortable as I could get, I waited for sleep to bless me since Agni knew I needed it more than ever.

~*•°•*~

Immediately when I next woke up, I realised that I wasn’t in the same position that I last remembered. I was in any position but what I had been previously been in. Instantly, I felt the tightness around my wrists and I forced my eyes open to find two chain that kept them suspended in the air. Looking down, I noticed that my feet were also chained apart like my hands. Another thing that I noticed was how I wasn’t even in my cell anymore. That was made clear due to the lack of bars that separated me from the entrance. Now, I was dreading what was going to come my way next since I knew that it wasn’t going to be good.

Refusing to just let them have their way with me, I tried as hard as I could to break free of my restraints, to no success. I wasn’t even going to bother with trying to use my firebending since this room was in the same freezing temperature as my other room. For all I knew, I could still be in my old room except without the bars. There was nothing more that I wanted than to find out where I was, but I knew that I wouldn’t be able to have that luxury.

Eventually, the door to whatever room I was inside of opened and a tall figure approached me. As they got closer, I recognised it as the first person I saw once I had regained consciousness not too long ago. They had certainly made themselves acquainted with me, not that I had any choice in the matter. If I had it my way, there was no way he would be able to enter my cell. Nobody would be able to.

“Fancy the change of scenery?” he mockingly asked.

I made no effort to respond to him. Since I had woken up, I hadn’t given anybody the satisfaction of my response to them. In a way, it was my way of standing up for myself since they might be able to take away my right to freedom, but they can’t take away my right to speak. Or not.

“Ah, still on mute I see. But don’t worry, that will change in due time,” they said as they slowly walked around the room. “Tell me, how does it feel to have everything that you’ve ever known taken away from you? Though, technically it wasn’t taken away from you. You just gave it up like the ungrateful scum you are.”

He was right. I did give it all away. But then they took away my freedom, and everything else that I had to live for.

“I’m sure it must warm your heart to know how little you’ve been missed since you’ve been gone. Nobody has made any effort to find out what has happened to you, not that they’d ever find out. As far as everyone else is aware, you’ve simply dropped off the face of the earth and nobody even cares. You could die in here and nobody would ever find out. Not that anybody would even care. Now, tell me, how does it feel to know that even in death you won’t be missed? You will always be a forgotten part of history, just like you deserve,” they mocked me.

That little monologue was enough to elicit a response from me. My eyes narrowed in anger as I glared at the man who seemed to take joy in berating me. His life must be sad if that’s all he takes joy in. Then again, it’s not like my life isn’t sad either since I’m the one who’s rotting away.

“Now, don’t worry. We won’t kill you. Because whether we like it or not, you are still important to us. You know too much about the Fire Nation, about the world for us to just discard you like that,” they reassured me.

Once again, they were right. I did know too much about the Fire Nation and the rest of the world. I knew more than anyone else would ever found out, thanks to everything that I’d experienced. Sometimes experience was worth more than knowledge, which was the truth in my case since I found out everything I knew because of what I’d gone through, not what I had learnt.

“So until we’ve gotten everything we want out of you, we’ll keep you alive. Just barely,” they proclaimed before leaving me to the emptiness of the room.

Angered by his words, I sucked in as much air as I could before spitting it out in the biggest blast of fire that I could manage, which was hardly anything given my current surroundings. Hanging my head down in defeat, I waited for whoever was going to visit me next to make their arrival. It seemed as though they’d established some sort of a routine since I’d regained consciousness. First, someone would come mock me and then someone else would be left to deal with me in their own way.

Just as I’d expected, it wasn’t long before I was joined by unwanted company once again. Only this time, it was more than one person. What caught me off guard was that like my last private visitor, their faces were all covered. These people seemed to have a thing for leaving me in suspense like this, since I had no idea who was behind those masks and I desperately wanted to know who it was.

“You take her back, I’ll take the front. You get the chains,” the one in the middle ordered before pulling out some sort whip, which instantly sent shivers down my spine. There was only one possible reason as to why they would have those with them, and it wasn’t going to be fun for me.

Bracing myself for the impact that was sure to come, I closed my eyes as I bit down on my lip to withstand the pain as it instantly began. Thankfully, they didn’t strip me of my clothes as they whipped my back and my stomach. Every so often, the chains around my wrists would tighten which left my upper body in excruciating pain. Refusing to give them the satisfaction of my suffering, I continued to bite down on my lip to resist the urge the urge to scream even though I desperately wanted to.

The pain that I was experiencing felt terrible. Every whip brought more pain than the last, and they didn’t seem to care that I was already injured enough. There was no telling how much I’d be scarred after this round, since they seemed to be whipping every inch of my body that they could. Never before had I longed for freedom than how much I did at this very moment. I wanted nothing more than to stand my ground, but I couldn’t. For once in my life, I was helpless and there was nothing that I could do.

“Had enough yet, _traitor_?” one of them tormented me.

“Even if she did have enough, it’s not like we would stop,” another hissed as I was whipped once again.

The chains around my wrists tightened once again, except this time the pain was worse than it had been before. For the first time, I gave a reaction to the pain that I was experiencing as the chains tightened and the whips made contact with my body once again. This pain was unbearable, it was inhumane and there was nothing I could do about it. Eventually, it became too much for me to handle and I was glad to slip into unconsciousness again.

~*•°•*~

Of course, when I next woke up I was in a different room than I was when I lost consciousness. This time, I seemed to be back in my cell as the bars separated me from the door to my freedom. As I tried to sit up, I winced in pain before I remembered what had just happened to me before I lost consciousness. I glanced down at my wrists, which had now turned purple as a result of the chains that restrained me before. Carefully, I lifted up my shirt to see the multiple scars that now adorned my body. The worst by far was the scar from my lightning attack. But that was to be expected given the circumstances.

If there was ever a time for me to be strong, it was now, even when my body was getting weaker and weaker as the days went on. Based on what Ming had told me, today marked my twenty-seventh day in my little cell. That meant that tomorrow would mark my fourth week in here. Soon enough, it would be a month since my imprisonment. A month since everything went wrong for me. Though, to be fair, things had been going wrong for me for a while before Azula showed up and made things worse like she always does.

Although I tried my best not to dwell on it, I couldn’t help but think what would’ve happened if my duel with Azula had ended in a better result in my favour. If that had been the case, I wouldn’t have been locked up in prison. I’d be out free, without having to worry about Azula chasing me down since she wouldn’t be a problem anymore. Without her around, I’d be able to live the life that I wanted to. Unfortunately for me, I mostly always never get my desired outcome. You know, I’m starting to think that the universe has it out for me.

Not that I wouldn’t blame the universe for having it out for me, since I haven’t really been the best addition to the world until recently. The more I thought about it, the more I realised that this was probably the universe’s way of dishing out more karma for me. Just when I thought I’d had enough of that stuff already. Seriously, what was it going to take for the universe to give me a fucking break? I’d already been captured before, and now I was imprisoned with a scar that would haunt me for the rest of my life. If you asked me, I’d already been served my karma. Clearly the universe thought otherwise.

**Did you really think that you’d redeemed yourself?**

_Ugh, you again._

**Yes, me again.**

_Come to torment me like everyone else has?_

**No, I’m your conscience, remember. I’m supposed to help you.**

_Well, you can’t really help get out of this situation._

**You do have a point there. On another note, you really should get out of this hole that you willingly dig for yourself. You’re being pretty pathetic if you ask me.**

_Aren’t you supposed to be me?_

**Ha, ha. But true, I am you. Which means you know that you’re being pathetic right now. So stop blaming the universe for everything bad that’s happened to you when it’s your own fault for getting into this mess.**

_No it’s not. Azula was the one who locked me in here. Without her constantly interfering in my life, I wouldn’t be in this situation. I’d be free to do whatever I wanted, without the restraint of these bars in front of me._

**So this is how it’s gonna be, huh?**

_What makes you say that?_

**You’re in denial, dumbass. It’s not Azula’s fault that you’re in here. Sure, she’s the one who locked you up but this could’ve easily been avoided if you hadn’t gone with Matsu and Touma. If you hadn’t, then you wouldn’t have been turned into the authorities like you were.**

_Remember when I asked you if you had come to torment me like everyone else and you said no? Well, you’re tormenting me now so shut the fuck up._

**Oh, getting feisty, huh? You can keep telling yourself that as much as you want, but eventually you’ll realise that it’s nobody’s fault but your own. Maybe then you’ll wish that you had done some things differently.**

_Haven’t you paid attention to my thoughts the past few months? I already wish that I had done things differently. I know that if I had, my life wouldn’t be as fucked up as it is now._

**I’m not talking about before, dumbass. I’m talking about now. Ever since you left Daisuke, you’re mind hasn’t been on the game like it was before. Whether you want to admit it or not, his training was more helpful than you realised. If you hadn’t just ignored everything that had come from him, maybe then you’re life wouldn’t be as fucked up as it is now.**

_Now you’re just saying what I’m already thinking._

**Finally, we’re on the same page. Sometimes I wish that I hadn’t been stuck as your conscience. I would’ve had an easier time with anybody else than I’ve had with you.**

_Well, you can’t always get what you want._

**Funny you say that because what is it that you want? Isn’t it your freedom? And what aren’t you getting? You’re freedom. Maybe you should take your own advice.**

_And what, just give up? Cause that’s what I’m getting from this conversation._

**Of course you shouldn’t give up. What I’m saying is that maybe instead of fighting it, you should just accept it. Take it as it comes, since it’ll only make you stronger. You’ll get what you want eventually. Cause right now, you’re in no position to make any desperate escape attempt. So, just keep waiting and your time will come. You know that I’m right.**

Maybe my conscience was right. Maybe I was just better off longing for my desired freedom, since there was nothing I could do to get it and I certainly wasn’t doing myself any favours by wanting something that I couldn’t have. My conscience was also right in the fact that it was partly my fault that I was in here. If I hadn’t of gone with Touma and Matsu, I wouldn’t have been turned over to the authorities. Then I wouldn’t have faced off against Azula and I’d still have everything that I had before. But I still refused to believe that I should just sit back and let these people have their way with me. Ugh, having a conscience was more annoying than I thought it would be. Things were so much easier when I didn’t have my conscience constantly up my case.

Suddenly, I heard the sound of the doors opening, only not all of them opened. The last one was left shut, but something was simply pushed inside the room before I heard the doors slammed shut. It was quite perplexing, since they surely didn’t expect me to be able to get whatever it was since I was _locked_ in my cell. Then, I heard this slight tapping noise that echoed against the walls of the room. At first, that’s all it was until the noise slowly started to get louder, and my nerves started to snap.

It wasn’t long before all I could hear in the room was the tapping noise from whatever it was they had left in the room. If they were trying to annoy the fuck out of me, they were certainly succeeding since I could barely hear my own thoughts. Though, I guess that could be a good thing.

“Shut the fuck up,” I muttered, so badly wanting to destroy whatever was making that nagging noise with my firebending. If only my firebending wasn’t so restricted so I could unleash whatever blast I wanted to.

The more the noise seemed to go on for, the louder and more annoying it got. Not even covering my ears with my hands was enough to withstand that Agni-forsaken noise as it slowly drove me insane. The harder I pulled against my hair, the more hair I slowly pulled out. Was this really how it was going to be? Was I really going to go insane _again_ because of a stupid fucking noise?

Finally, it got to the point where I couldn’t handle the noise anymore and I slowly started to feel myself going delirious. Everything started to turn foggy as the noise turned to faint echoes which eventually lulled me to sleep. And just like all of the other times, I was glad to be unconscious again and I hoped that when I next woke up, my surroundings would be a lot more pleasant.

~*•°•*~

Thankfully, when my eyes opened again that Agni-forsaken noise was _gone._ Unfortunately, I wasn’t in the same position that I remembered being in when I drifted away from reality. Seriously, what was it with these people with moving me every time I feel asleep? Would it _kill_ them to let me be conscious whenever they moved me? Though, I guess it would since if I was awake I would make it no easy feat to move me. So, maybe they were smart to move me whenever I wasn’t awake. But still, it was frustrating for me like everything else about this was.

As I regained my bearings, I realised that I was restrained to some sort of chair and there was something that was covering my head, since I couldn’t figure out where I was. Not that I would _really_ know where I was. It would just be nice to know what room I was in. I also felt something covering my mouth, but I couldn’t quite identify what it was. However, based on the atmosphere in the room I could tell that I wasn’t alone. I could feel the presence of other people in here, but I wasn’t sure how many there were.

“It looks like she’s awake,” a voice grumbled from behind me.

Quickly, whatever was covering my face was pulled off before I was almost blinded by some light as it stared me down. The brightness of the light was so powerful and unexpected that even after I was adjusted to it, it still took me a few moments to catch sight of my surroundings. When I had fallen asleep, I had hoped to wake up to better surroundings. Even though there was no irritating noise around me, these surroundings still weren’t any better. In fact, I’d probably prefer to be driven mad by whatever that noise was than be forced to put up with whatever was about to come my way.

“You take her arms, we’ll take her legs,” one of the men ordered.

They then assembled themselves around me before two of them yanked onto my legs and the others pulled on my arms, which I’d only just noticed weren’t that restricted. At first, I had no idea what they were trying to accomplish by doing whatever it was they were doing. But then, I could feel the pain exploding in my kneecaps and my shoulders. They clearly weren’t holding anything back as they pulled on my limbs, twisting and turning them in positions that I knew my body shouldn’t be in.

When I felt the crushing feeling inside my bones, I realised what they were trying to do. They were trying to break every bone in my body to render me powerless. I had to give them credit for thinking of that method, since it really would limit me helpless if I had no movement in my arms or legs. All of a sudden, I felt no feeling in my right shoulder as it was forcefully twisted back and I knew that it had been dislocated. While my shoulder had never been dislocated before, I knew enough to know what it felt like when it happened.

As much as I wanted to scream out in pain, I still refused to give them the satisfaction of my suffering. Besides, they had to have known that I was in pain. You’d have to be superhuman to not feel anything from what I was experiencing. Instead, I started to suck in a deep enough breath to use to my advantage. Once I could feel enough air inside of me, I released it in one deep breath which was enough to elicit a small blast of fire and to break through whatever covering my mouth. At first, that was all I thought I did until I heard a somewhat girlish shriek from beside me, which I had to laugh at for obvious reasons.

“What happened?” one of them asked.

“You saw what happened! The bitch burned me!” someone yelled.

“I told you we should’ve put a muzzle on her,” another muttered before turning to the others. “Go get it! And you go get that burn looked at.”

Soon enough, it was just me left alone with one of the men. Based on the look on his face, I could tell that he was pissed at what I had just done. I couldn’t say I blamed them, since I would be pissed at me too. In all honesty, I was surprised that my firebending was strong enough to break through whatever was covering my mouth, let alone burn one of them.

“You’re going to regret doing that, you bitch,” they hissed.

Almost as if it was to tease me, they slowly reached into their pocket before pulling out a small object. At first, I couldn’t identify what they were holding before I realised that it was a knife. These people certainly had no limitations to their torture methods. Bracing myself for whatever they were about to do to me next, I closed my eyes as I waited for the impact to come. The coldness of the knife was the first thing I felt on my neck. Slowly, it was forced into my skin and I had to resist the urge to hiss in pain as I felt my blood drip down my body and into my clothes.

“Next thing you try will result in something far worse than that,” they threatened.

To my surprise, he didn’t try anything until the other men returned with what I assumed was a muzzle. In all honesty, I had never seen a muzzle like that before. Sure, I had seen muzzles for animals but never for humans. I didn’t even know that muzzles could be used on people. They forcefully wrapped it around my face, and I could slowly feel my strength beginning to weaken as a result of the blood that was dripping down my body. Not to mention, the parts of my body that had been wrecked at their hands wasn’t helping my condition either.

One of the men pulled out something from behind him, which I figured was a large plank that was about to be inflicted upon my face. They certainly wouldn’t get any gain by inflicting it across any other part of my body since I was starting to lose feeling there anyways. Sure enough, I was right and it wasn’t long before the plank came into contact with my face as a loud slap echoed throughout the room. My cheek instantly felt the pain, and I didn’t even need to see it to know that there would be a mark left behind.

“This is what you get, you treacherous scum!” they yelled before slapping me again.

“Traitors like you don’t deserve freedom!” another shouted. Slap.

“You’re just a _worthless_ piece of shit who deserves to rot in your own filth!” someone else hissed. Another slap.

They were relentless in what they did, refusing to hold back whatsoever. The more pain my body experienced and the more words they taunted me with, the more I started to accept my fate. Even though giving up was one thing that I refused to do, the urge to give in was becoming more and more tempting. Maybe once I did, the pain wouldn’t be that bad. Maybe my conscience was right after all. It has been so far.

With one final slap against my face, I couldn’t hold it in anymore as blood started to splutter from my mouth. Sure, I had bled before. But never like this. Never before had I coughed up my own blood. And it was disgusting. Just like I was. Slowly, I started to feel that dizzy feeling in my head once again. Just like every other time, I was more than happy to let myself succumb to the desire, even though part of me felt like maybe I should’ve just accepted that as my fate and taken every hit. Besides, it’s not like I wouldn’t deserve it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another tough ending, which in all honesty was different than what I had originally planned. Abby was always going to suffer at the end of this chapter, but in a different way. I just wasn’t sure how to write what I had planned into the chapter. The bit with Abby’s conscience also came out of nowhere, since I was just trying to fill in some words to make a longer chapter. On another note, Ming (the guard who Abby met at the start of the chapter) isn’t a complete stranger to the Avatar world. She only appeared in one episode, but still enough to leave me with something to work with. This won’t be the last time Abby gets a visit from Ming.


	47. No Tears Left to Cry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just like the last chapter, things will be a bit heavy in this one, especially towards the end but it’s not too graphic either, but could still be very triggering to certain readers. You’ll be able to pick up on what’s going to happen then, and if you can’t read that stuff, just skip it for your own good. On another note, this chapter has no relation to Ariana Grande’s song ‘No Tears Left to Cry.’ I just thought that it was an appropriate name for this chapter, which you’ll soon understand why. There’ll be one dream in this chapter, and you’ll know what it is when you read it. In the Gaang’s timeline, this chapter takes place before Lake Laogai.

So far, my days in prison only consisted of pain. Just pain and suffering. But those were pretty much the same thing, so I might as well have just stuck with pain as my chosen adjective. Ever since my latest encounter, I had been locked back up in my usual cell to tend to my wounds. Not that there was anything I could do to make the pain any better, since there was nothing that they gave me a part from food. One thing that bothered me the most was that I had been wearing the same clothes since I woke up and the smell was certainly starting to get to me. I was really starting to become a pig, since I was practically rolling around in my own filth just like they do.

While the wounds that I had only recently sustained were painful, I was slowly beginning to grow accustomed to the pain from my scar. It wasn’t as bad as it was when I first woke up, and it only hurt a lot as a result of my other wounds that surrounded it. Thankfully, whenever Ming visited me she always snuck in a few healing herbs to help ease the pain. The more help I received from her, the more I decided that her intentions were truly genuine and that I could trust her.

However, I never spoke to her or properly acknowledged her presence. I hadn’t spoken to anyone in the thirty-three days that I had been prisoner. It was partly because I refused to give anybody the satisfaction of my voice, but also because it hurt to do anything else. Whenever they mocked me, I simply turned my back to whoever it was and only reacted when they forced me to. Whenever they tortured me, I simply held onto my tongue and bit my lip to keep me from screaming. I refused to give them the satisfaction of my pain.

If I was being completely honest, this wasn’t exactly how I expected prison to be. Sure, I’d heard stories about Fire Nation prisons before and I knew that what went on wasn’t pretty, but I never would’ve imagined that it would be like this. From what I’d heard, prisoners were usually locked up in their own sell and occasionally got to roam about the place. While I was definitely locked in a sell, I had no freedom to walk around whatsoever. Considering everything I had done to the Fire Nation, I figured that this must be their ‘special treatment’ four me.

As the days went on, I was finding it harder to resist the urge that had been tempting me ever since I had woken up. My gut was telling me to keep fighting, to keep hanging on but it was getting harder and harder with each day that I was forced to face. The more I thought about what my conscience was telling me, the more I could make sense of what it was trying to tell me. There really was no point in fighting or resisting when there was practically nothing that I could do about it.

This was certainly not where I imagined myself being at this point in my life. Never would I ever have thought that I’d end up prisoner in my own country. While I had no idea where I actually was, I was fairly certain that I was somewhere in the Fire Nation considering the guards who entered my cell wore Fire Nation armour. They only ever mocked me though, so it’s not like they ever said anything that would give me an indication as to where I was. But what they said to me was worse than what they did to me. My wounds might hurt, but they would heal overtime. Unfortunately, I would never forget what they’d said to me.

They say that words are like knives, and that statement had never rung more true to me than it did right now. Every word of abuse that was aimed at me only dented what was left of my armour more and more. Growing up, I was trained to withstand pain which I was normally able to deal with. But considering the continuous beatings and abuse that I was forced to deal with, my resolve was slowly beginning to crumble. That, combined with the words that were constantly thrown my way, I was struggling to hang on to whatever strength I had left.

Every day only got worse for me, which equivalated to how I felt on the inside. The only emotions I felt nowadays were bitterness, shame and resent in contrast to the usual anger, frustration and annoyance that I usually felt. Admittedly, I still felt those emotions but they were more aimed at myself if anything. I was angry at myself for getting myself into this mess, I was frustrated at the fact that there was nothing I could do and I was annoyed at everything about this situation. I was bitter at the fact that I had lost, I was ashamed of myself for letting this affect me as much as it had and I was resentful for the fact that the same people who had put me in this situation were the same people I fought for,

Knowing that there was nothing I could do was the worst part, since I was forced to accept this as my fate which I was slowly coming to terms with. As the days went by, I became less resistant when it came to my torture rounds, since I really was in no position to do anything. If I was being completely honest, the pain I had to endure wasn’t that bad the more I came to accept it. It was strange how things like that worked out sometimes. Strangely enough, it was even more liberating accepting the fact that this was my life now, only because now I didn’t have anything else to fight about. All I could focus on was making it through the next day and hope that things would eventually start going in my favour.

That was all I could do right now, hope. While it was never really something that I had before, it was definitely something that I needed now. I had to hope that things would get better. I had to hope that I would be able to make it through this, no matter how bleak things might seem at this point in time. Hope was all I had left, and I was going to hold on for as long as I could.

~*•°•*~

_Darkness surrounded me. That was all I could see, there was nothing else. My head felt like it was spinning as wherever I was refused to stay still. Strangely enough, the pain that I had been experiencing the past few days wasn’t even there. Just me, and the darkness._

_“Where I am?” I wondered, even though I knew that I most likely wouldn’t get a response to that question. Sure enough, I was correct as the only sound I heard in response to that was the echoing of my own footsteps._

_Suddenly, I heard what sounded like a giant explosion go off and I watched as the darkness around me turn into small masses of fire that fell to the ground. It was almost like being inside a burning building as the inside collapsed on itself. That was before the ground below me started to burn from within, forming a large hole that practically swept me off my feet as I plunged down below._

_When I looked up again, I was surrounded by fire in some sort of caves as all sorts of rocks and stone collapsed from above, but each of them seemed to miss me. This wasn’t like any cave that I had seen or been in before. I had no idea where I was, and that made me apprehensive._

**_“Watch them fall apart, just like your life has,”_ ** _a dark voice taunted me from out of nowhere._

_“What?” I asked, not really sure what the voice was referring to. It was clear that the second part was referring to me, but I wasn’t so sure about the first._

**_“Did you really expect to find happiness? People like you don’t deserve happiness. People like you deserve to rot away until you’re nothing like you already are,”_ ** _the voice mocked me._

_“No I don’t. I don’t deserve this. I don’t deserve this,” I repeated, although I wasn’t so sure if I was trying to convince the voices or myself. Or both._

**_“Keep telling yourself that, you miserable scum. You might think that you’ve already lived through your karma, but it’s only just beginning. Just like you deserve,”_ ** _the voice hissed._

_“Stop it! You’re wrong!” I yelled, even though I knew I was yelling to nothing._

**_“Don’t act like you don’t think this is what you deserve. You know that this is what you deserve,”_ ** _the voice said._

_“You don’t know what I think!” I hissed, despite the fact that their words were ringing true to me._

**_“See, you just admitted it to yourself? You’re weak, worthless, scum who deserves everything you get!”_ ** _the voice yelled._

_By that point, I was done arguing with whatever it was, since I knew that it was right. While I would never admit it to anyone, I had accepted that I deserved it. But only because I hoped that by accepting my fate, that eventually my karma would pay off since it hasn’t so far._

_All of a sudden, the flames around me suddenly disappeared into thin air before turning into smoke that slowly filled up the room. At that moment, those patronising voices had stopped and I was just left with the smoke as it went past me. That was, until it was suddenly pushed backwards in one big swoop before disappearing like the flames did._

_Only I was left not with smoke, but a person. More like a ghost from my past for that matter. It was Daisuke, standing over me with the biggest look of disdain that I had ever seen on his face._

_“W-what? You c-cant be h-here. You’re n-not real,” I stammered, unsure of how to react._

_“I am certainly real, you ungrateful little maggot. This didn’t have to happen to you, you know? If only you had just stayed like the loyal soldier I trained you to be,” Daisuke snarled._

_“I was no soldier! I was a weapon to you! That’s all you ever saw me as!” I shouted._

_“But I still cared about you in my own way. Deep down, you know I’m right. Just like I always have been,” he stated._

_“No! You’re wrong! Everything is wrong! I don’t deserve this! Just let me out!” I screeched._

_Daisuke suddenly tripled in size and I trembled backwards until I fell over as he towered over me. This had to be some sort of hallucination, right? There was no way that this couldn’t be real. It couldn’t be._

_Then, a large fire exploded around us and I just remained in my position, unable to bring myself to move as I watched Daisuke move his arms around in a circular motion, generating lightning. My eyes widened in shock as he sent it hurling towards me and I braced myself for the impact, hoping that somehow it would bring me release from all of this._

Sweat poured down my head as I woke up with a start, panting as my eyes darted back in forth to make sense of my surroundings. Only once I realised that I was still in my cell did I relax. Though, I couldn’t really relax since I was still a prisoner. Not only was I a prisoner in real life, but in my own dreams as well. Up until recently, my dreams had been my only safe place to escape from all of the suffering that I was forced to endure. Now, I was suffering in my own dreams as well. It seemed as though there really was nothing I could do, which only made it more tempting for me to resign myself to my fate.

Sometimes, I really was close to just giving up and accepting my fate but then the stubborn part of me would push through and tell me to quit being such a weakling. I was practically having yet another tug of war with my own thoughts, and I desperately wanted to go in either direction. The thought of giving up made me think that there would be a way out for me and lessen the pain and suffering. But I had never given up on anything ever before in my life, and I wasn’t exactly ready to start now.

At this point in time, things couldn’t get any worse for me as they were now. Nothing could beat being locked in a cell with no way of getting out and being haunted by your own dreams. Unless of course, the universe decided to challenge me since it just loves messing with my life. Though, I couldn’t help but wonder what my dream with Daisuke meant since my dreams always seemed to mean something to me, even though I tend to ignore them most of the time. Only now I couldn’t ignore them, since they were a constant reminder of not only what I chose to ignore, but the constant torture that I was forced to endure.

As hard as it was for me to keep fighting, I didn’t want to simply accept my fate since that would only mean quitting, which isn’t in my vocabulary. Quitting is for people who can’t handle what life throws at them, which made quitters pathetic and I certainly wasn’t pathetic, no matter how much those guards told me otherwise. Hopefully things would improve in due time, so that I wouldn’t even have to contemplate spending the rest of my life in this hell hole.

~*•°•*~

Another day passed, marking my thirty-fifth day of imprisonment. With every day that passed, I hoped that they’d go by faster but they never seemed to. Each day only seemed to get longer and longer which made them even more difficult to endure. Since my last torture session, I hadn’t received anymore pain like that, although I had received a few visitors who gave me their fair share of mocking. In all honesty, I had grown accustomed to this routine after only a few weeks. It was just the same thing repeated, beatings and mocking. Every time I woke up to a torture session, I was always in a different room. To be honest, I was kind of hoping for a change of pace to make things somewhat interesting around here.

To keep myself occupied, I had started my own calendar to keep track of how many days I spent in here. There were a few small twigs lying around on the ground that I used to carve my tallies onto wall near where my small bed was. I left them there because I didn’t want to put them anywhere obvious where they could be seen. Who knows what would happen to me if they found out that I was leaving this sort of stuff on my wall?

The sound of the door opening snapped me out of my thoughts and I quickly assumed a normal position of mine so I didn’t appear to be suspicious. Now it was time for the fun game of guessing if whoever it was came here to mock me or beat me. Since it had been a few days after my last beating and I had already been mocked enough recently, I figured that whoever it was were here to have their way with me.

“Morning, bitch,” they greeted me.

Just like always, I made no effort to respond to his greeting. So far, I hadn’t spoken a word to anybody but myself since I woke up here and he wasn’t going to be the first of them to hear my voice.

“Me and a couple of the other guys were talking and we felt bad about how worthless and pathetic you are, so we thought we’d do something to make you a little more better about yourself,” they said as I heard a loud thumping sound behind me.

Slowly, I turned my head around to see a small bag lying in my cell. The curious side of me couldn’t help but wonder what was inside that bag, but I knew that I’d find out in due time.

“What you’re going to do is put on what’s inside that bag. Try not to look like a disgusting piece of trash in it. I’ll be back in a few minutes and you better be ready by then,” they threatened.

Once I was left alone, I made my way towards the sack and opened it to see what was inside. I was surprised to see a new set of clothes in there so I quickly pulled them out and inhaled their sent, relishing in the freshness of it since it was the first fresh set of clothes that I’d seen in ages. However, looking closely I realised that these weren’t any ordinary clothes. They would have to have been the most skimpiest piece of clothing that I had ever seen. The shirt itself was hardly a shirt at all, since it probably stopped just below my chest. As for the pants, they were the shortest pair of pants that I had ever laid eyes on.

While the guard had told me to change into the clothes, I didn’t want to simply because I was unsure of what would happen to me once I did put them on. Plus, I wasn’t comfortable with exposing myself like that since I knew what would be on display with these clothes on. But then I was nervous at the thought of what they’d do to me if I didn’t put on the clothes like they told me to, since there was bound to be some punishment involved if I didn’t.

Deciding that it was just better for me to do what they wanted even if I didn’t want to do it, I reluctantly put on the clothes that I’d barely classify as clothes. They were more like pieces of fabric sewed together. Just as I’d expected, the so-called shirt barely covered my breasts and the pants were squeezing my butt in the most uncomfortable way. But what I hated the most was how exposed I was, since all of my wounds were on public display. Maybe that was their intention with this, to say that they want to ‘help’ me only to make me feel more worthless. If that was the case they were certainly succeeding.

Taking another look at the sack that had been tossed in my cell, I noticed that there was a box in there as well. Curiously, I pulled it out and opened it to see some sort of makeup kit there. Now I was really confused, since I had no idea what this meant or what I was supposed to do with it. Since they had told me to make sure I didn’t look like shit, I figured that meant fix up whatever they had done to my face so I was at a presentable standard.

I’ll admit, it was nice to put the makeup on since it made my face feel less broken and more refreshing. That was the first time since I got here that I actually felt clean to some degree. But I wasn’t going to hang onto that feeling for long since I knew it probably wouldn’t last long. Whatever they had install for me, I knew it wasn’t going to be fun. Preparing myself for what was to come, I sat patiently in my cell knowing that it was only a matter of time before I was greeted with my fate. Although it was freezing waiting for my fate, since the room was already cold enough and now my body was hardly covered. All I could do was use my breath of fire to keep me warm, which was hardly a fire anymore.

A few minutes later, the doors to the room opened and three figures entered. They seemed to be carrying something, but I couldn’t quite figure out what it was. It didn’t come as a surprise to me when they entered my cell and crowded around me, which admittedly made me feel extremely self-conscious given the fact that I was practically on display for them to see.

“Doesn’t she look nice, fellas? It’s nice to see that she can clean up,” the one in the middle commented.

The one on the right nodded, “You can hardly tell she’s a hideous bitch. I’d even go as far to say that she wanted to look good for us.”

“Didn’t you, bitch? You wanted to look good for us,” the one on the left purred.

Same as always, I remained motionless as they marvelled over me. The longer they stood there, the more uncomfortable I was beginning to grow with this situation. Sure, I’d had people look at me before but never like this.

“You get the chains out, you take hold of her arms. It’s time to give her the attention that she deserves,” the one in the middle ordered.

My eyes widened at the implications of their words. As much as I refused to acknowledge what was about to happen to me, I knew what their intentions were. Everything made sense from the skimpy outfit to the makeup. This wasn’t going to be like any of my normal torture sessions, and I was dreading it.

One of the men pulled my arms out as I felt the chains attach themselves to my body. Just when my bruises from the last pair were starting to heal, it looked like I was going to get more. The same happened to my other arm and I could feel the chains pressing against my wrists. It hurt more than the last time, since I already had wounds there.

“Here’s how this is going to work, you’re going to sit there and do _nothing_ while we have some fun. Any movements of defiance that you make will result in serious consequences,” one of the men threatened.

The word _fun_ sent shivers down my spine. Why is it that everyone’s version of fun was so sick and twisted? Why couldn’t everyone just be into normal fun, not the fun that came at someone else’s expense?

At first, I tried to resist but when I was forcefully pushed backwards until I was bended over my legs, I knew there was nothing I could do. Slowly, the panic inside my chest started to grow like it never had before. This was easily the most terrifying moment of my life. Even more terrifying than every death-defying situation I had been in before. Only because then, death was a plausible option. But here, it wasn’t.

“Now, get ready, Sugar. We’re going to treat you like you deserve to be treated,” one of them hissed.

Everything that happened after that almost felt like a blur, yet I still remembered everything that happened. From the moment the pieces of fabric were forcibly ripped off my body to the moment my fragile form was discarded to the side. Every touch, every entry and every moment was permanently etched into my brain like the horrible experience it was. Compared to the experiences with torture that I’d had so far, this was the worst of them all. I’d take any of those beatings over this, since it left me feeling far worse and miserable than I had ever felt in my entire life.

Never before had my body ever felt so _violated_ and twisted up inside. Sure, I had felt pain before but that was nothing like how I felt right now. All I wanted to do was wipe the experience from my mind, because it was so horrible and nothing that I had wanted. Nobody would ever want that, and I sure as hell didn’t. But it had happened. And to me, of all people. I never would’ve figured that I’d be put through this sort of torment. I’d heard that this sort of stuff happened in detention camps in the Earth Kingdom, but never in the Fire Nation. Realistically, I shouldn’t be surprised since if they could easily do it to other people, then there’s no reason as to why they wouldn’t do it to their own citizens.

There was so much anger building up inside of me after what I just went through. Not only at those who did it to me, but myself for letting it happen. If things had gone differently, I wouldn’t even be in this situation to begin with. So, some part of it is my own fault since I let myself fail, and now I’m suffering the consequences of my actions in a way that I never thought I would.

I’m going to be completely honest, I’d obviously heard of sex before and knew exactly what it was and what it meant. Truth be told, I’d always imagined my first experience in that area in a lot more _pleasant_ scenario. Although it was never really something that I longed for, you’d still prefer your first experience in something like that to be a lot more pleasurable. Not full of pain and misery. Not that I had any say in the matter itself. They wanted to do it to me, and that’s what they did.

Up until now, I’d been trying to hold onto whatever bit of strength I had left. But after what I just went through, it felt like nothing even mattered to me anymore. At that point, I didn’t care what happened next, since it only seemed like it would be one bad thing after another. It was no secret that they wanted to break me, and yesterday I would’ve said that would never happen. But now, I certainly felt broken. Broken like I’d never felt before. How could I not, after what they just did to me?

Laying there in my cell, with my chains still bounded to my hands, I finally let out every bit of anger, sadness and hatred that had been welling up inside of me. Hunched over, with my hair messed up around my face, I panted restlessly as I scrunched up my face in anger, unable to control myself and my emotions anymore. Any last bit of control that I had over myself had been unjustly taken away and that made the realisation of what had happened even worse.

Finally, I took one deep breath before unleashing the turmoil that was welled up inside of me. For the first time since I awoke, I reacted with screams of pain, sadness and anger all rolled into one blast of fury that escaped my lungs. Screams filled the tiny room that I had been caged in like a wild animal. It got to the point where i could no longer control my screams as I allowed the fire to escape my mouth with my screams reaching their peak as I pointlessly writhed in my cell. However, no matter how much I screamed or how loud they came out, no tears fell down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so that happened. I’m going to be honest and say Abby was always going to fall victim to sexual abuse, which would be the final straw for her as you’ve just seen. The abuse was the hardest part to write, since I didn’t want to make it too explicit or too non-existent. In the end, I decided to leave it off on the implications of what happened. I would like to say that by no means am I writing something as serious as rape into this story for shock value or for entertainment, but for the purpose of the development in Abby which will be crucial to her character and how she progresses. As for chapter notes, I’m really trying to spread the content out so it isn’t too underwhelming since short chapters are usually a bit bland to read. If any of you have anything that you think I should add, let me know and I’ll try to fit it in.


	48. Hanging by a Thread

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aafter doing some re-planning, the story will now have 79 chapters instead of the original 85 that I had planned so less writing for me, lol. Also, I forgot to mention last chapter that this story officially has over 200k words which is more than I ever thought I would’ve written. It’s also worth mentioning that as of this week, I am now back at university so updates might get delayed again but I’ll try my best to stay on top of my game. This chapter takes place during Lake Laogai.

Ever since that fateful night where I had lost what little innocent I had left of me, I had truly become a recluse of my former self. My nightmares had only gotten worse since then, because all they consisted of were the voices of the men who so willingly destroyed me. It was fair to say that what they had done to me was far worse than any of the treatment I had received so far. I would take anything over that.

To make matters worse, I was left with a permanent repetition of their voices in my mind. Even when I was awake I could hear them, taunting me with their vicious words that they used to tear me apart. On top of that, I was forced to put up with their presence in my cell, with nothing that I could do. While their faces had been covered, I remembered their voices so the first time they came into my cell unmasked, I knew that it was them. I knew what they had done to me, and so did they.

Day by day, my physical condition was beginning to weaken. Whatever resolve I had left had been all but crushed after that night I would never forget. Although crazily enough, there was still apart of me that thought I could make it through this. If I did manage to make it through this there was no way that I’d ever take my freedom for granted ever again. But, deep down I knew that was a crazy thought on it’s own since they had made it perfectly clear that their mission was to break me piece by piece, and they were certainly succeeding in that mission.

Most of the time, I usually rested in the corner of my cell while avoiding whoever came in as much as possible. The only person I acknowledged was Ming, since she was the only person who came into my cell without the intent to torment me. She had only visited me twice, and every time the door opened I hoped that it would be her walking in, but my hopes were always diminished most of the time. Just like they had been so far.

With each day that passed, the more withdrawn I felt myself becoming. It was almost like nothing mattered to me anymore, which was partly the truth. There wasn’t anything that I could think of that was enough to give me energy or some form of hope which I desperately needed right now. It was difficult because although much of whatever resistance I had left had been destroyed, there was still that stubborn part of me the refused to give them what they wanted. As long as I was still alive, there would always be a part of me that refused to give in, even if it would be the easier option. But I never was one for taking the easier route.

At that point, I heard what sounded like the doors to my cell opening from the other side. Based on what I had heard every time they opened, I knew that there were several doors keeping me locked out from whatever freedom there was. Honestly, I didn’t see the point in there being several doors between me and whatever was out there, since it wasn’t like I’d be able to get even one door open given the condition that I was in.

When the last door opened and I was briefly greeted with a small burst of light before it was shut on me, I simply turned my gaze from whoever it was that had come to visit me. It wasn’t like it was going to be anybody important, since the only guy who I saw as important to them was the boss who greeted me after I regained consciousness. However, my expectations were completely blown away when I heard my visitor’s voice.

“Hello, Abby. Or should I call you _traitorous scum_?” they addressed me.

Shivers went down my spine as I recognised their voice. But it wasn’t just any voice. It was voice of my former mentor, Daisuke. The first feeling that swept through me upon that recognition was shock. Of all the people, I never would’ve expected him to visit me. Even Azula visiting me wouldn’t have been that much of a shock compared to this.

“Weren’t expecting to see me, were you?” Daisuke asked as he stood in full-view of me, showing his clear dominance in the way he towered over me. “I’m not expecting a response from you, since I was told that you haven’t said a word at all in the thirty-six days that you have been awake.”

Part of me was surprised that he had known how long I had been awake for, but I refused to show anything to him that would give away my emotions. One thing that he had taught me that didn’t instil bad memories in my mind was the ability to hide your emotions, which was definitely a good skill to have.

“I’ve been meaning to visit you for quite some time, now. But as you would expect, I have been very busy running one of the Fire Nation’s most proficient factories. Then there’s you, who only has to focus on making it through from one day to the next,” Daisuke lamented.

His assessment was pretty spot on, since all I could really do now was try to make it through the next day no matter how bleak things might appear to be. And things were looking pretty bleak now, especially after Daisuke’s surprise visit.

“I can remember when you left all those months ago and every word you said to me is still imprinted in my mind. What was it you called me before you left?” Daisuke paused for a moment before leaning forward. “Oh that’s right, a failure. Only now it seems as though the roles have been reversed. Just looking at you now I know that I was right to call you a failure and a disgrace.”

The more he talked, the more I started to believe that he had just came here to mock me like everyone else since that was all he had done so far. One thing I could always count on Daisuke was to make me feel worse than I already did, since that was something that he’d been doing for ages now.

“It is a shame that you ended up this way. You had so much potential that you just threw away, and for what? Nothing. Though, I must congratulate you on successfully being able to generate lightning. Too bad you couldn’t do anything useful with it,” Daisuke patronised me.

So, he did know about my Agni Kai with Azula. I shouldn’t be surprised, since I’m sure she would’ve gloated about my ‘crushing’ defeat at her hands to anyone and everyone. It wouldn’t come as a surprise to me if the Fire Nation saw me as a pathetic failure, given that’s what Azula and Daisuke seemed to think of me.

“It’s only fitting that you spend the rest of your life rotting away in the walls of the same nation you so foolishly chose to abandon. There truly isn’t anything like karma, isn’t there?” Daisuke lamented.

Karma was all I seemed to be getting these days so yes, there truly wasn’t anything like karma. In all honesty, I had never been a firm believer in karma but given everything that’s happened to me and everything I’ve been through lately, I’ve grown more inclined to believe that it isn’t just an old wives tale.

“Now, I didn’t just come here to berate you for your foolish choices. I came here to teach you a lesson, a lesson you won’t soon forget,” Daisuke proclaimed as he pulled out a key and used it to unlock my cell.

Dread instantly filled my body as he stepped inside. While I might’ve been able to handle every other torture that those men threw at me, I wasn’t so sure if I could handle what Daisuke would have for me since after all, he knew my weak spots. He knew what parts of me were more vulnerable than anything else since after all, he did train me.

If I didn’t think that I could suffer any more pain, then I was definitely proven wrong. The moment Daisuke stepped into my cell, he forcefully pulled me up before throwing me onto the ground so that my back was facing him. At first, I was confused at that action until I felt a searing sensation  throughout my body as he inflicted his rage upon me.

For the first time so far, tears threatened to spill from my eyes as he lashed a whip of fire across my back, but I refused to break in front of him. I just closed my eyes and bit my lip as I tried to think of something else to distract me from the pain that was overcoming my body. While I had received my fair share of torture in the time that I had awoken, I had never received anything quite like this. They only ever used brute force against me, never firebending. Brute force would never work against me anyways, since I had been trained to resist that sort of torture. But training to withstand firebending had never been used on me before, so I was at a loss.

With each whip that was thrown against my body, more pain spread within me like never before. I could take physical abuse any day of the week, but abuse like this wasn’t in my capacity. Every time the whips made contact with my body, I could feel the burn marks that were being left behind. Sure, I had been burned before but not like this when the force was so brutal.

Eventually, the whipping ceased and I was able to let out the breath that I had been holding in throughout that entire ordeal. In that moment, my body felt numb as I just laid there on the cold, hard ground, wanting nothing more than for Daisuke to just disappear so my body could recover. I didn’t even have to turn around to face him to know that he was relishing in my suffering, like the sadist he was. Then again, it wasn’t like I used to be any better than he was since I used to be just like him once upon a time.

“It hurts, doesn’t it? I have certainly missed our private sessions like this in the time that you’ve been gone. Only now I can treat you like the worthless scum you are,” Daisuke seethed.

If I was being completely honest, this wouldn’t be the first time that Daisuke had berated me like he was. Only before he didn’t speak with such venom like he spoke to me now. Back then it was kind of like how a coach would give tough love to someone. But this wasn’t tough love. It was verbal abuse.

“As much as I would love to catch up with you, I’m afraid I must be on my way now. I’m not sure if I will ever see you again, but I’m sure you will never forget me because after all, there are just some people you that you can’t forget,” Daisuke said.

And with that, I listened carefully until I heard Daisuke’s footsteps disappear and the doors slam shut. Once I was sure I was alone in my cell, I slowly lifted my hand to my back, wincing as I felt the blood that was dripping down my body. The pain that I was experiencing was almost unbearable, and it only felt worse when I realised that there was nothing I could do to ease the feeling inside of me. Whether I liked it or not, I was stuck like this.

~*•°•*~

Hours passed before the doors to my cell were opened again. Much to my relief, it was Ming who walked inside. That was made obvious by the gasp that escaped her mouth as she saw the condition that I was in. If I was her, I’d gasp too since I didn’t have to look at myself to know that it wasn’t a pretty sight.

“You poor thing. Just when I thought they couldn’t treat you any worse,” Ming sighed.

“You and me both,” I spoke, surprising the both of us. It astounded me how hoarse my voice sounded, and how I had almost forgotten what my own voice sounded like. After all, it had been over a month since I last said anything.

“So, you can speak?” Ming asked before she grimaced. “I apologise, that was rude of me. I do not blame you for refusing to speak to anyone. If I were you, I would probably stay mute as well.”

“My voice is the only freedom I have left,” I stated.

Ming nodded, “I have come here to give you a fresh set of clothes after your previous visitor. I must admit, it came as a surprise to most of us to see General Daisuke pop up unexpectedly, since he had all but disowned you after your treachery.”

“Thank you, Ming,” I said, appreciating her kindness.

“I heard what they did to you the other day, and I think it’s disgusting. Especially the way they bragged about it. But that’s not a major surprise to me, since they usually gloat about their conquests over young and vulnerable women. It’s just a shame that they won’t do anything to stop it,” Ming revealed.

“C-can you tell me where I am?” I asked hesitantly.

“I’m afraid I’m not at liberty to reveal that. I have already broken enough rules by even speaking to you like this. If they knew that you knew where you were, they would know that it was me who revealed your location. I cannot begin to imagine what they would do to the both of us in that scenario,” Ming replied.

“Thank you for not being like the others,” I expressed my gratitude.

Ming gave me a small smile, “I also snuck in some aloe-vera, since I figured that you would need it after your recent visitor. If you wouldn’t mind showing me your marks, I will apply it on the appropriate area.”

Nodding gratefully, I turned my back to Ming so that it was within arms reach for her. Relief instantly swept through my body as I felt the cream make contact with my skin. Even though most of the burn marks had already started to set, it still relieved most of the pain that had been left behind. Once she was done, I put on the new shirt that she had given me to replace my now-scorched shirt from before. It was the first new piece of clothing that I had been given in over a month, and the feeling was wonderful.

“I’m afraid this is all I have time for today. I will try to visit you soon,” Ming promised.

I nodded, “I’ll be waiting.”

Now that Ming had left me, I was once again left alone to wallow in my own self-pity, which was something that I had grown accustomed to recently. As much as I appreciated Ming’s gestures, her sympathy left little to be desired. I had never been one to accept anyone’s sympathy, since sympathy never helped anyone. But I figured that I should take what I can get, since Ming was the only person here who didn’t treat me like I was garbage, even though she had every right to.

Such actions of kindness were almost foreign to me, since I was so used to being treated with retribution by others. There was a huge part of me that felt like I didn’t deserve Ming’s kind gestures, no matter how much I appreciated and needed them. It was my guilty conscience that told me that I didn’t deserve them, and that I deserved everything I received. Although I previously might have denied that, I was becoming more inclined to believe it.

~*•°•*~

Things only seemed to get worse for me after Ming’s visit, making her small gestures almost meaningless. My visitors started to become more frequent and the abuse they threw my way was becoming more forceful. It was taking everything in me to just make it through each round that I was forced to deal with. Any resistance that I had left was slowly being destroyed with each hit and every word that they gave me.

Currently, I was left alone in an empty room after being moved from my cell and suffering another round of abuse. This time, I had been strapped to a chair as they hung me upside down while throwing various objects at me that were mostly sharp, leaving me with many cuts and bruises. Not that I didn’t have any already.

My breathing was slowly beginning to readjust to being at a normal angle, since they had only just sat me down properly. The whole time I remembered that time I was left dangling in that secret cave at the Fire Sages temple and tried to picture myself there. Even that situation was better than this one, since at least then there was a way out of it. This time, there was no way out of getting out of where I had found myself.

When the door to the room I was in opened again, several men walked inside and I inwardly groaned when my eyes landed on the knives in their hands. Regardless of what they were going to do with them, I knew that it wasn’t going to be good for me. After taking in reality of this situation, I sent a small prayer to Agni to get me through this before I braced myself for the impact that was about to be forced on me once again.

“We’ve decided that we’ve been being a bit too lenient on you so far. Now, we’re going to step things up a bit,” the one in the middle proclaimed.

“I’m sure you must have a million thoughts running through your mind right now about what we’re going to do to you. Just sit back and enjoy the show,” the one on the left added.

Then, it began. At first, I was confused when they started to untie the straps that were restraining my hands to the chair. My confusion grew even more when they turned my arms over so that my wrists were facing upwards. But when they pulled out their knives and thrust them downwards, I knew what was going on.

Pain shot through my body like a wildfire as the knives made contact with my skin. Blood quickly started to drizzle out from my wrists, which was something else that I had grown accustomed to. I’d never seen so much of my own blood before and I feared that it was only a matter of time before my body couldn’t handle it anymore, since there was only so much blood inside of you.

The whole time I tried my best to tune out everything that was going on around me. Another thing that I had been trained to do was to take your mind somewhere else in high-intensity situations like this. I just tried to keep telling myself that it doesn’t hurt and that it would all be over in a moment, even though I wasn’t so sure about the truth in my words. I could never be certain about how long my torture would last, since they were pretty unpredictable in that area.

Eventually, the attacking stopped and I was just left to look down at the blood that was dripping down my wrists. It got to the point where my vision was starting to get blurry as a result of the blood loss and I hadn’t realised that I had actually lost that much until that point. My mind was continuing to deteriorate and I truly wasn’t sure how long I would be able to last in this situation.

“Have you had enough yet, bitch?” the one on the right asked.

The one in the middle scoffed, “You know she’s not going to respond to you. All she does is just sit there in silence like the psychopath that she is.”

“Let’s try and see if we can get her to talk. We can put some of our new methods to good use,” the one on the left suggested.

Their new ‘methods’ consisted of slashing my wrists instead of stabbing them. Other methods included pulling some of my eyelashes off, which I didn’t even know was possible but nevertheless, they hurt like hell. My least favourite torture method was by far the usage of stones that they’d repeatedly throw at me. I’d read about this torture method before, although it was mostly done in public to death as they shamed the victim. Though, I had a feeling that they would be beating me to death.

It seemed as though they were becoming more inventive with their torture methods, much to my displeasure. With every bit of pain that was inflicted upon my weakening body, my mind only seemed to go away with it. There was only so much pain and suffering that I could endure in one hit, and this wasn’t like the other times where they usually just gave me a few hits and then left me alone. This time, they were being merciless with their torture and I wasn’t so sure how long I could go on for.

“Bring in the water,” one of them ordered.

At that, I got a few moments of rest, but it wasn’t really rest. All I could do in that situation was try my best to recover for whatever they had install for me next without showing how weak I truly was. There was nothing that I hated more than showing my weakness, even now when I had every right to show it. Along with my voice, my control of myself was the last bit of power I had that they didn’t.

My mind barely had time to register one of them leave before the returned with a bucket of what I assumed to be water, since that’s what they had been told to get. Though, I didn’t understand what they could possibly do with a mere bucket of water. But I was preparing myself for anything, since so far, they had given me anything and everything that they could think of. Whatever they had planned for me next was sure to be no different.

“Want a drink?” the one on the middle asked as he dipped a towel in the bucket.

Knowing that they’d give me a ‘drink’ regardless of if I wanted it or not, I simply sat back and waited for them to do whatever it was they were going to do. While I might not be psychic, I had a feeling that this wouldn’t be any normal drink of water. With them being the sick bastards that they were, they were probably going to add their own twist to it to make me more miserable than I already was.

Even though I had told myself not to be surprised, I was still surprised when they forcefully placed the towel over my mouth. At first, I felt nothing and I wasn’t exactly sure what this was supposed to achieve. But then, I could feel my breathing passages being cut off as the towel was shoved across my mouth. That was before I realised that this was their attempt at waterboarding and I knew that there was very little I could do except remain calm.

Despite my best efforts, my ability to remain calm didn’t last long and I soon found myself panicking as my breathing was cut off from me. Even though I knew that they weren’t going to kill me, there was very little I could do to remain calm when everything else was telling me to do the exact opposite. As much as I refused to show my weakness in front of them, it was becoming too much for me and all I wanted to do was to be released from my suffering.

“Okay, I think she’s had enough,” a voice said.

Finally, the towel was yanked away from my mouth and I quickly started heaving as I tried to return my breathing to normal. Everything around me was fuzzy, although I could still see the faint figures of the men who stood before me. After everything that they’d put me through today, I hoped that this would be the last of it so that I could finally get some rest.

Much to my relief, they seemed to have had enough of torturing me for the time being which gave me the time that I needed to recover. This was the first time out every moment of pain and suffering that I felt it throughout every part of my body. I wasn’t even sure what part of my body hurt the most, but that was something that I didn’t even want to think about at this very moment.

“I think she’s had enough of it for now. We’ll let Ming clean up the rest of her mess before we take her back to her cell,” one of the men said.

Soon, it was just me alone in my cell until I was joined by Ming, which surprised me even though they said she would be coming in. It wasn’t like them to send the same person in to see me at regular times on the same day, since they liked to keep me in suspension for unnecessary periods of time. As soon as her eyes landed on me, I could see the sympathy welling up in them which I didn’t appreciate whatsoever. Sympathy was the last thing that I wanted right now, especially since it wasn’t even going to do anything to help my situation.

“I know you might not appreciate it, but my heart goes out to you,” Ming offered.

She was right in the fact that I didn’t appreciate it, but I wasn’t going to show it since I didn’t want to do anything to take away her kindness, since Agni knew I needed it. Carefully, she bandaged up my wrists that had almost bled themselves out while fixing up whatever part of my body that was left broken, just like how I felt on the inside.

Once Ming had finished fixing me up and cleaning everything up around the room, she offered me her apologies again before leaving me once again. Except this time, I didn’t even try listening to Ming’s apologies since they were worthless to me. There wasn’t any amount of apologising that would make this situation any better. There was nothing that would make this situation any better than what it was.

From the moment I woke up, they had made it clear that it was their mission to break me. For the first few days, I resisted it before trying not to fight it, believing that it would only make things better. That was not how it had worked out for me, since I was left feeling worse than I could possibly imagine. No matter what anyone said to me, I would be left feeling the same way that I felt right now which was empty and worthless on the inside. As much as I had refused to admit it before, maybe now it was finally time to accept this as my fate for the rest of my life. Any hopes that I had before had been thrown to the side, and there didn’t appear to be any left now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I was going through my outline of the chapter, I realised that some of them would end up too short so I combined a few of them which is why the story is now shorter than it was originally going to be. Daisuke’s visit was sort of something that came out of nowhere, but I figured that it would be a good addition to the chapter and Abby’s struggles. As for the waterboarding that was used on Abby, it is an old torture method that’s intention isn’t to drown the victim, just to give them the sensation of drowning. Also, next chapter you’ll finally find out where Abby has found herself so the speculation will be over by then.


	49. Keep Hope Alive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the end of this chapter, Abby’s location will finally be revealed so that should be an interesting reveal. This chapter takes place during the Earth King and as per usual, italics are dreams/flashbacks and it shouldn’t be hard to differentiate which is which.

_For the first time in a long time, my body wasn’t filled with pain. It was weird, since pain was something that I had become so used to as of recently. That wasn’t the only thing that registered in my mind, since I then realised that I wasn’t even in my prison cell. For a moment, I just stood around the empty room as a bright light surrounded me and it wasn’t long before the fear welled up inside of me, since every time I found myself in a new room something bad always happened to me._

_My breathing started to rapidly increase, since it felt like the room was closing in on me. This was unlike anything that I had felt before, and I berated myself for allowing this to already cripple me before any action they took. It angered me how weak I had become, but I knew that there was nothing I could do to save myself. Footsteps could be heard from behind me, and I braced myself for whatever impact that never came._

_“Abby? Are you alright?” a familiar voice asked._

_Shocked, I turned around to find Liling standing there. Confusion quickly filled my mind as I wondered what she could possibly be doing here. Had she come to mock me like everyone else? I didn’t want to believe that Liling would treat me like everyone else had, but my initial perceptions had been wrong so far._

_“What is wrong?” Liling asked, appearing to be genuinely concerned for my well-being._

_“You need to help me. Please, get me out of here. I can’t stand it any longer,” I pleaded, desperate for any help._

_Liling gave me a confused look, “Abby, what are you talking about? You’re not in any danger. You’re in that Tatakai Stronghold.”_

_“W-what? N-no. I c-can’t be,” I stammered, disbelieving of what I was being told._

_The more Liling’s word sunk into me, the more I realised that she was right and that I was in fact back at the Tatakai Stronghold. I was even no longer in my prison clothes, since I was now dressed in my former training gear. This made no sense to me. I was supposed to be in prison. Was it all a dream? Was this a dream?_

_“Abby, do you need to have a lie down?” Liling asked gently._

_“What I need is someone to tell me what is going on. I can’t be here. I don’t remember being here,” I said, glancing around the room that I had found myself in._

_Slowly, Liling approached me as she put a gentle hand on my shoulder, “Abby, dear you are fine. There is no need to worry. Have you been injured?”_

_At that question, my eyes widened as I remembered the lightning strike that Azula had flung towards me. Carefully, I placed my hand against what should be my scarred side, only to feel nothing. There wasn’t even an ounce of pain where my injury was supposed to be._

_“This doesn’t make any sense,” I murmured._

_My confusion only seemed to add more to my panic as I was unable to make sense of this situation that had to be some sort of dream. Any minute now, I’d wake up in my prison cell and be faced with more gruelling hours of torture at the hands of my captors._

_“While I am here, I came to remind you that your training session has been pushed forward for this afternoon. Daisuke was able to pull some strings to get you the better time slot. Nothing but the best for his protégé,” Liling explained._

_“What training session?” I asked, confused._

_“Your weekly training session that you have every Wednesday with Daisuke,” Liling clarified. “You didn’t forget, didn’t you?”_

_“No. Of course not,” I muttered, remembering the training sessions that I had with Daisuke although it still didn’t make sense to me given what I thought reality was supposed to be._

_“I wouldn’t blame you if you did forget, since it’s not like you need your training sessions anymore given you your recent success. Speaking of which, you’ll be happy to know that the Avatar’s execution has been moved forward as well to this Friday,” Liling said._

_My eyes widened, “Execution? For what?”_

_“What do you mean ‘for what?’ You were the one who captured him, succeeding in your mission. Fire Lord Ozai has been debating for weeks now on what to do with the boy, but he ultimately decided to execute him since the boy still poses as a threat if he is alive. If he dies, he will merely be reborn into the Water Tribes and will hardly be able to stop our quest to victory,” Liling explained._

_With every word that Liling spoke, the more confused I had become. This was just like when I went through my metamorphosis where I had dreamt that I captured the Avatar. It practically was the same plot of the dream, just in a different place._

_“I’m sure that it must be difficult for you to comprehend, but thanks to your efforts the world is now firmly under our grasp. You truly are unlike anyone else I’ve ever crossed path with. Your strength and determination is commendable,” Liling praised me._

_“No. No. No. This isn’t how it’s supposed to be,” I murmured as I stepped back._

_Liling raised an eyebrow, “What do you mean? Of course it is. The Fire Nation has always been the most dominant nation, and now we have our success to prove it. The world is finally at our mercy and we didn’t even need Sozin’s Comet to ensure that, all thanks to you.”_

_“NO! The Avatar isn’t supposed to die! He’s the world’s only chance!” I yelled._

_“But isn’t that why he should die?” Liling questioned._

_“No! You don’t understand! Without the Avatar there is no hope for anyone! We can’t live in a world with someone like Ozai in charge!” I exclaimed._

_“If that’s how you truly felt then why did you capture him?” Liling asked._

_“I didn’t!” I shrieked as I stood backwards. “I have to make this right. It can’t be like this. The Avatar will not die on my watch, not when I can stop it!”_

_“Abby, you’re not thinking clearly,” Liling said cautiously._

_“No! Get away from me!” I shouted._

_Pushing Liling away from me, I ran towards the wall at top speed, desperate to get out of whatever this alternate universe was. Unsure of what to do, I moved my arms in a swift movement and was somewhat surprised when lightning followed through. It seemed as though my dream self was more successful than my actual self. Lightning blasted through the wall as I made my escape before jumping out of the hole I had created, barely having enough time to propel myself into the air as I landed onto the ground with a hard thump._

_Surprisingly I didn’t feel any pain as I landed on the ground. I quickly lifted myself up and tried to make a run for it, only to be yanked back by some force. Shivers shot down my spine as I realised that my feet were chained to the ground, which confused me since my feet were free just moments ago. Chains were nothing but bad for me, since every time they were attached to me something bad always happened._

_Yet again something bad happened as I looked up to see Daisuke towering above me with a sinister look in his eyes that made me shrivel up inside. He then jumped forward, landing on the ground with a hard thump before he forcefully pulled me up by my neck with a tightened grip._

_“No one can protect you now, traitor! Tell me what you know!” Daisuke seethed._

_“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” I exclaimed, genuinely having no idea what he was referring to._

_“Liar! I know you know about the prophecy! You found it yourself so tell me!” Daisuke ordered._

_“I know nothing!” I insisted._

_He angrily pushed me back as he towered above me, “Then I’ll have to get it out of you the hard way and you know what that means.”_

_Dread welled up inside of me as I knew what he was referring to. If Daisuke didn’t get what he wanted through interrogation, then he moved onto torture and I had a feeling he wasn’t going to be so easy on me. Even if this was a dream, the prospect of pain was definitely not a good one. A bright light suddenly blinded my eyes as everything I saw around me disappeared on a whim, and I was secretly relieved that it had._

Finally, I lunged forward with no restraints behind me as my breathing laboured. Looking around, I let out a sigh of relief when I realised that I was still in fact in my cell and that it had been a dream after all. Just to be sure, I pinched myself to make sure that this was in fact reality since reality was something that had become difficult for me to decipher ever since I woke up.

My dreams used to be the only place where I could be free, but now they make my everyday torture a constant reminder in the one place where I should be safe. Sometimes it was even better to just stay awake, since at least then I could be alert of my surroundings and tell the difference between what was real and what wasn’t. It was almost like I was losing all over again which was frustrating since it was the last thing I had any real control over nowadays.

Turning my head to my secret calendar, I added another tally to the mix, marking my thirty-ninth day of imprisonment. The more time I spent here, the longer the days seemed to last. With every day that passed, the more I longed for my freedom even though I doubted that I’d ever get. As much as I wanted to be free from this dump, I knew that I would most likely spend the rest of my life in this, rotting away in the walls of the same nation that I tried so hard to protect.

It really is ironic how some things turn out in life.

~*•°•*~

Sleep managed to elude me for days after that, since every time I even tried to get some, I was plagued by nightmares that only seemed to get more and more disheartening. In all honesty, I couldn’t even remember the last time I actually got a decent amount of sleep without being disturbed by my own dreams. Only when I was unconscious my dreams were kind to me, but I didn’t really dream then so I guess that doesn’t count.

Thanks to my lack of sleep, my torture sessions became more and more unbearable. Since I hardly had any energy to react or do whatever it was that they wanted me to do, they continued to increase their force and brutality. That would explain why now, my face looked pretty damn fucked up along with my hands as well, since they’d practically tried to crush them with a brick. As for my face, they’d used that same brick to bash my face in to the point where I started coughing up blood.

Now I was in what I referred to as my ‘recover time’ since this was when they’d leave me to fend for myself before coming back with more methods of torture. Admittedly, I had always known that the Fire Nation was a viscous place since after all, I _was_ raised here but I never would’ve thought that they could be so inhumane. Looking back, that was probably a result of my own blindness that had clouded my judgement for so long. If only I hadn’t been so stupid, I could’ve avoided all of this torture.

Sometimes I wondered how my life would’ve turned out if I hadn’t been corrupted from such a young age. Maybe then, I would’ve realised my mistakes and changed my path sooner so I wouldn’t have ended up like this. If I could’ve, I might’ve even trained the Avatar in firebending. I certainly knew my basics and so much more than that which would’ve made me a perfectly qualified teacher for him, even though I might not have enjoyed it. As part of my training, I had to teach other people who weren’t as advanced as me and I never really enjoyed it. But since the world was on the line, I might’ve stepped it up a bit. Now, I couldn’t see any way for the Avatar to learn firebending, since nobody in the Fire Nation would be willing to turn traitor after seeing what had happened to me.

The doors opened to my cell once again and I braced myself for another torture session, only to let out a sigh of relief upon seeing Ming heading towards me. For a prison guard, Ming went beyond any of my expectations which I suppose was a good thing for me. It was still difficult to understand how Ming could be so compassionate towards me when Fire Nation guards are trained to rule with an iron fist.

“You’re getting luckier, Abby. This time I don’t have to hide what I do since they’re expecting me to fix you up,” Ming addressed me as she stepped inside my cell.

Raising my eyebrows, I couldn’t help but inwardly scoff at her comment on me getting ‘luckier.’ If I was getting luckier, I’d be able to find a way out of this wretched cell. So to me, I was just as ‘lucky’ as I’d always been.

“I’m sorry that the people here are so cruel to you. Nobody deserves the sort of treatment that you’re forced to receive. For someone your age, you should be out there and enjoying your life like any normal teenager should. Not locked up in some cell where you get abused against your own will,” Ming said as she dabbed a tissue on my face with some sort of ointment on it.

“Don’t give me sympathy I don’t deserve,” I disagreed.

Ming looked down at me, “Don’t tell me you think you deserve this treatment.”

I nodded, “I do. Like they say, I’m a disgrace to the Fire Nation and I deserve everything I get.”

“You are _not_ a disgrace,” Ming insisted with a shake of her head. “If anything, you are an example of what everyone in our nation should be like. If more people were like you, maybe then we wouldn’t be such a dark place.”

“Nobody should want to be like me. Even I don’t want to be like me,” I stated.

Ming sighed, “How could someone like you be so against themselves at such a young age? You’re completely blind to your own self-worth.”

“There is nothing worthy about me. If I was truly worthy, I wouldn’t be in here. I would be out there living the life that I never got to have,” I admitted.

“Those sick bastards have reduced you to such a pessimist in regards to your own self. Do not let them break you, Abby. That is what they want to do. That has been their goal since you first woke up,” Ming said.

“Don’t you think I know that?” I snapped as I flinched away from her touch. “From the beginning I knew that was their goal. They made it quite obvious with how merciless they were with their beatings. At first, I tried to resist it, I really did. But it’s hard to resist when it’s the same thing day in and day out. I always thought that I was a strong person, but my own self image has been destroyed thanks to what they’ve done to me. Only now I realise that I was never that person. That person was just a false illusion of what I thought I was, a weak and pathetic individual.”

“You’re not weak or pathetic,” Ming tried comforting me, but I refused to acknowledge it.

I narrowed my eyes, “If I wasn’t weak and pathetic, don’t you think I’d be able to withstand the torture that I’ve repeatedly faced? If I was really strong, I’d be able to fight against it, but I’m not. And that’s okay. I’ve already accepted that this is the rest of my life and I’m quite happy to live it until my weakness gives in.”

“Abby, the fact that you said that just shows that you still have some strength left inside of you, enough strength to get you through this,” Ming stated.

“My strength is gone. I have none. Whatever I had left was snuffed out,” I retorted.

“You are still strong for making it through this, Abby. If you were truly weak, you’d let yourself give up by now,” Ming insisted.

I shook my head, “I’ve already given up. Weren’t you listening when I know that I’m going to spend the rest of my life in this place? There is nothing I can do to gain my freedom that I don’t deserve.”

“You’ve been through so much for someone your age. Trust me when I say that you are strong and there is strength left inside of you, you just have to find it again,” Ming said.

“I’d much rather have one of the other guards talk to me right now because at least then they wouldn’t try to convince me to believe something that isn’t true,” I retorted, getting rather annoyed with Ming. It was easy for her to say that there was still hope for me but I knew the truth, I knew there was no hope for me.

“I’m only trying to help…” Ming trailed off.

“Well, your help is not appreciated!” I interjected. “Now just do what you came here to do and leave me to wallow in my own self-pity in peace.”

After that outburst, Ming didn’t bother saying anything else, for which I was glad. There was nothing that annoyed me more than people trying to make things better when it was obvious that there was nothing that could be done to do so. Finally, Ming finished what she had came here to do before leaving me alone once again. When she left, I noticed disheartened she was and I didn’t even feel bad to know that I had caused that. If she was smart, she’d leave me alone in peace and wouldn’t try to save me since I was beyond saving, since I was already to fire down to go back.

Here I was again, pushing away people who only wanted to help me. I did it with Osamu, Dhatri, Jae and even Kenji, Liling and Seung. Now I could add Ming to that list. Although part of me desperately wanted the help, since I knew I would need it if I was to make it out of this hell-hole, I just couldn’t bring it in myself to let them help me. Truth be told, I had never been accepting of help from others since I had always been self-sufficient. Only now, there was no denying that I needed help but the real question was if whether or not I would take it or let me pessimism take over like I had so far.

~*•°•*~

Due to the constant nightmares that flooded my mind every time I tried to even get a wink of sleep, I was left with very few options. Along with freedom, there was nothing more that I wanted than to close my eyes and get a decent night’s sleep. Maybe if I actually got a good night’s sleep I wouldn’t feel so negative about everything. That was just wishful thinking on my part, since I knew that nothing would make this experience anymore better than what it was.

In times like this, where I had nothing but my ever persistent thoughts on my mind, I tried so badly to distract myself from the reality of my situation. My mind drifted to the Avatar and his little posse. They were probably somewhere in the Earth Kingdom right now, getting that third element out of the way so he could move onto firebending. As for Azula, she was still probably hunting the Avatar now that she had gotten me out of the way. The same could be said for Zuko, since now that I was gone he only had his insane sister to worry about.

Thinking about the Fire Nation siblings made me think about my own family. Truthfully, the only family that I’d ever known was at the Tatakai Stronghold. Looking back, that wasn’t really a family since we were only people who worked together to achieve a common goal. The concept of family was so foreign to me, since it was something that I had never really had despite being something that I had always wondered about. Growing up, Daisuke had always told me that my family abandoned me because I turned out to be a firebender and just like everything else he told me, I believed it.

Only now that I had realised that almost everything he had told me was a lie did I stop to think that maybe that was a lie too. If he had lied about mostly everything that he had ever told me, than he very well could’ve lied about that too. For all I knew, my family was out there wondering where their missing piece was, not knowing that she had grown up hating them thanks to the lies of a callous man. Maybe once this was all over, I could find my family and live the life that I never had growing up.

An eerie smoke suddenly filled my room and my eyes narrowed as it surrounded me. I wasn’t sure if it was my sanity acting up or if this was just another way of them messing with me. My questions were answered when I saw Saori floating above the ground with a sombre expression on her face.

**“You poor child. Fate has certainly not been on your side,”** Saori stated.

I scoffed, “Tell me something I don’t know.”

**“I can see that you have allowed the darkness to take control of you, making you a shadow of your former self. Even more alarming, you appear to have no desire to even go on anymore,”** Saori observed.

“Let me guess, you’re here to tell me not to give up myself and that things will get better when they obviously won’t,” I snapped.

**“It’s a shame that someone as young as you are has become so pessimistic towards life. You still have so much of it left inside of you, yet you are acting like your life is over,”** Saori said.

“That’s because it is over. In case you seem to be forgetting, I’m locked away in a prison cell with no way out. I’ve been branded a traitor and a disgrace so yes, my life _is_ over,” I retorted.

**“There is still hope for you, child. Do not give up on it because that is what they want you to do,”** Saori insisted.

I narrowed my eyes, “You think I don’t know that? From the beginning they tried to break me and I tried to stay strong, I really did. But it’s hard to be strong when you have nothing left to hold on to.”

**“What about your drive? The drive that you have to pass on the error in your peoples ways. Surely that is enough to keep you going,”** Saori suggested.

“Like I can do that while I’m rotting away in prison,” I remarked.

Saori sighed, **“You truly believe that there is no hope for you, don’t you?”**

“Haven’t I made it obvious?” I asked.

**“Let me tell you one last thing, child. No matter how bleak or hopeless things may seem, there is always a light in the dark which goes for you even now. In times like this, hope is something that you must give yourself,”** Saori advised me.

“Well, I’m feeling pretty hopeless right about now,” I muttered.

**“My dear, you must not give up hope. Do not allow the cruelty of this world to override your strength. You are a fighter, it is in your blood,”** Saori stated.

“What do you mean it’s in my blood? What do you know about history that I don’t?” I questioned.

**“That is up to you to figure out, child. I must bid you farewell now but do not forget what I have told you,”** Saori said before she disappeared into thin air.

What Saori said only left more questions in my mind as I pondered what she had said to me. She made it quite obvious she knew where I came from, but at the same time she would not tell me what she knew. Spirits really are frustrating; no wonder Avatar Wan separated the Spirit World and the Mortal World from one another.

But despite everyone insisting that I needed to keep going, I really didn’t know how I was supposed to do that when everything had been stripped away from me and I was left to suffer. It was becoming more and more frustrating with every day that passed, knowing that everyone expected me to keep going when I had nothing to hold onto. Even now when I had everyone telling me that there was hope left, I still refused to acknowledge it.

~*•°•*~

Another day passed in this wretched place and in that time, I was surprisingly left alone in my cell. Nobody had come to torture or ridicule me which was surprising, since I always had at least once visitor each day. Then again, I should be thankful that I’m finally left alone without anyone to bother me since it was what I had been longing for ever since I woke up.

Unfortunately for me, the dream couldn’t last forever since the doors to my cell opened and several figures walked inside. It seemed as though I was about to endure another torture session, just when I was about to relax for the first time in forever. One thing that I had learned in life was that you can’t always get what you want, and now was just one of those times.

When they entered my cell, they quickly made their way towards me before forcefully yanking me up and shoving me against the wall. Shivers then went down my spine as I felt them tie chains around my wrists, knowing that whatever was about to happen to me probably wouldn’t’ be good.

“Today’s your lucky day, bitch. You get to have a change of scenery,” one of them stated.

“If you try anything, you’ll be sorry,” another hissed.

It wasn’t like I was in any position to try anything. Although my scar from Azula’s lightning had somewhat healed, it still hurt to do any basic movements which only made being shoved around even more painful. My mind barely even had time to register what they had actually said as I was shoved out of my cell and towards the door. This was the first time that they had actually taken me somewhere when I was conscious, which was a strange feeling.

As they walked me through the opened doors to the room that had been my torture chamber for the past month, I was greeted with the outside world for the first time in a long time. Technically, it wasn’t the outside world since the first thing I noticed was how my torture chamber was in some sort of cavern. There was a long bridge that was suspended above the ground and I assumed that it lead to a much bigger structure. Sure enough, my assumptions were right as the door opened and I was shoved into a much larger complex.

What struck me the most about where I found myself in next was how warm it was, since for the past month I had breathed in nothing but cold air. It was only then when I realised just how cold I was and there was nothing that I wanted now more than to have some form of warmth to cleanse my body. As they walked me through the structure, there was some sense of familiarity that I got from this place, not like I had been here before but like I had heard of it before but I just couldn’t put my finger on it.

Eventually, they lead me to another door before pulling it open and shoving me inside. Only once I was inside did they take off the chains that bounded my arms together. As I got acquainted with this room, I couldn’t help but notice how small it was compared to my previous torture chamber. Nevertheless, I was still grateful for the change of scenery, especially since it wasn’t like the frozen wasteland I once resided in.

“Consider this a reward for your good behaviour. You’ll now be treated just like every other prisoner. But, if you even make one slip up or step out of line we’ll send you right back to where you were,” one of them threatened.

And with that, the men left me in my new cell before slamming my door shut behind me. Turning my attention to the small bedroll that resided in the corner, I quickly scurried towards it as I sought some form of comfort. Never before had I been so grateful for anything as simple as that. Sure, I’d had some form of a makeshift bed in my previous torture chamber but this one was much more better despite its size. Part of me was confused at the sudden change in my environment, since I had convinced myself that I was going to rot in that cell for the rest of my life. I was still probably going to rot away for the rest of my life, just in a different place.

Suddenly, I heard a loud ringing noise that just about drove me up the wall. Nowadays, any noise that didn’t sit well with me made me react in the most abnormal way. Much to my surprise, the door to my newly acquired cell opened automatically. At first, I was confused at what I was supposed to do. But when I saw people walking past my cell, I decided to see what was going on.

“What are we doing?” I asked one of the other people.

“It’s our exercise hour,” they replied.

“Exercise hour?” I repeated.

“Once a day, we get let out to exercise in the yard for an hour. This is our hour,” they clarified.

Still unsure of what to do, I simply followed everyone to wherever it was to where they were going. It was strange, since I was allowed to move around freely for the first time since my captivity. Although I still noticed the multiple Fire Nation guards who watched me like a hawk. As I followed the others, I was suddenly greeted with a bright light that almost blinded me. At first, I tried breaking free from the pact and going back to wherever my cell was. Any attempts I made were in vain as I was simply shoved outside along with everyone else.

It was then that I realised where I was. I was actually _outside_. The light that almost blinded me was the light that I had longed for ever since I woke up. It was strange, since I didn’t understand what I was doing out here. I was supposed to be a prisoner, and prisoners like me don’t get the luxury of being outside. Since it had been so long since I was outside, it took my eyes some time to adjust to my new surroundings.

When I did finally adjust to what was around me, I was hit with a realisation like a tonne of bricks. The steam that filled the air like it came from a boiling lake was a dead giveaway as to what I’d figured out. For so long, the unknown had been my greatest enemy as I had no idea where I was. Only now, there was nothing to be unknown since I knew exactly where I was.

Part of me wasn’t sure if it was a good or a bad thing for me but either way, my location had become clear to me. It was none other than the Boiling Rock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Despite starting this chapter early, I still uploaded it somewhat late since I just love procrastinating at everything. Well, there you guys have it. Abby isn’t just in any random Fire Nation prison, she’s in the Boiling Rock and I think you guys know what that means. It’s worth mentioning that Abby was always going to end up in the Boiling Rock, so it wasn’t something that I just randomly added to the story like some of my other plots. Leave me with your thoughts and theories and I'll see you guys next chapter :).


	50. Companionship in Confinement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With another chapter comes another milestone; this story is now in the fifties! In all honesty, when I first started writing this fic I never would’ve thought that I’d make it this far, since I usually give up writing a story a few chapters in. But I’m glad I haven’t given up on this story, since I thoroughly enjoy writing it and I hope you guys enjoy reading it too. Anyways, this chapter takes place directly after the last one, but by the time it’s finished it’ll be during the time of the Guru.

Once the initial shock of the realisation of where I had ended up subsided, I quickly snapped myself back into reality. Of all the places I’d end up, I never would’ve expected myself to end up in the Boiling Rock. In all honesty, I thought that I was being held in some dungeon in an unknown destination. Yet all along, I’d merely been held captive in a small prison with a much greater threat around me. Any hope I had of breaking free from my prison was diminished at the realisation of where I was, since there would be no escaping this place.

While I had never been to the Boiling Rock before, I had certainly heard enough to know what it was like. Since the prison itself was created under Fire Lord Ozai’s reign, it was a modern, state of the art facility with its walls being extremely thick and made from the most up to date indestructible metal. The Boiling Rock was infamous to Fire Nation citizens, since if there was ever a place you didn’t want to end up in, the Boiling Rock was it. Only because the prison was notorious for being tough on its inmates that include all sorts of people like thieves, traitors and prisoners of war and was only reserved for the most dangerous of criminals. So in a way, it was the perfect place for me yet at the same time, the worst place for me.

Due to the Boiling Rock’s infamy, nobody had ever dared to escape from it and even if they tried, they wouldn’t get far since the place was inescapable. The prison itself was on an island in the middle of a volcano surrounded by the Boiling Lake. Swimming across the lake would be the stupidest idea anyone could think of, since you would probably end up getting burned alive. So the only foreseeable way on or off the island were the two gondolas that travelled in separate directions but those were constantly guarded by firebenders making it impossible to reach them. As much as it pained me to say it, I was stuck here because whether I liked it or not, there was no way on or off the island.

Sighing, I glanced around the prison yard that I had found myself in. Based on the fact that this was our ‘exercise hour’ I figured that I was supposed to get around and do something, but I wasn’t sure what. However, one of the guards mistook my confusion as laziness.

“What are you doing, standing around and doing nothing? We don’t give you exercise time for nothing so move your miserable legs around you lazy scum!” they shouted.

Not wanting to get into any more trouble, I turned my attention to where some of the other prisoners were, who used axes to smash large pieces of rocks into smaller sizes. Since I wasn’t really in any physical condition to do any vigorous movement, I decided that would be easy enough for me to do.

However, I clearly underestimated just how weak I currently was since I even struggled picking up the axe on its own. Months ago I’d easily be able to do something as simple like this without any problems. The pain spread throughout my back and my shoulders to my arms and hands, which were all covered in scars from the beatings that I had received. I hated that they were on display for everyone to see and that I was appearing so weak in front of everyone. Weakness was one thing that I wasn’t fond of, and I especially didn’t like experiencing it.

It took everything in me to do the easiest of all tasks, and that on its own made me realise just how weakened I was. Based on the severity of the injuries that I had sustained, I figured that it would take me a long time before I would fully recover and be able to perform everyday tasks like I used to. As much as I had tried to deny the state that my body was in, I couldn’t deny it now when it was right in front of me.

Slowly, I got into a rhythm that wasn’t too vigorous which made it easier for me to move around. Although I wasn’t making as much process as I would’ve wanted to, I was still playing my part in working around this area. Everyone seemed to do it at their own pace and kept to themselves, so I was glad that I wouldn’t have to interact with anyone. No doubt anyone who even bothered to interact with me wouldn’t have anything polite to say, given my current standing with the Fire Nation.

With every movement that I made, the more pain spread throughout my body. This would have to be the most physical activity that I’d done since my imprisonment, and it was clearly taking its toll on my body. Any thoughts of strength that I had left were squashed since I could barely do the easiest of tasks, which made me more annoyed than ever. But it wasn’t like there was anything I could do to change anything, and it wasn’t like I didn’t deserve this either.

It’s funny because just yesterday I thought I was doomed to spend the rest of my life rotting away in my cell, only now that’s changed to being condemned to slavery for the rest of my life. In a way, it was what I deserved after everything that I had done, and the way that I had treated people in the past. Before I thought that my karma was over, only now I see that it was just beginning. I had a decade of karma to get through, since for the last ten years I’d been nothing but a merciless bitch.

“Hey, you,” a voice called out to me.

Turning around, I saw a man glaring at me. Based on the fact that he was in the same prison clothes as the others, I assumed that he was a prisoner as well.

“Why don’t you do us all a favour and pick up the pace? We’ve all be working hard so you have no right to slack off, you treacherous bitch,” they yelled.

Surprised at him referring to me as a treacherous bitch, I narrowed my eyes at him with distaste. While I might have committed treason in his eyes, I’m sure that’s morally better compared to whatever he must’ve done to wound up here since after all, only the most dangerous criminals got shipped to the Boiling Rock.

He seemed to notice my confusion, “Yeah, that’s right. We know who you are and what you’ve done. You used to be a legend, only now you’re a worthless piece of nothing.”

_Worthless piece of nothing._

Those words on their own were like the daggers that they used to slice my wrists open. Refusing to give the man satisfaction of my emotions, I simply turned around and went back to my work. Since he knew of my status of a traitor in the Fire Nation, there was no doubt that everyone else would know who I was and what I had done. So, I’d probably be in for an unpleasant stay at the Boiling Rock, not that it wasn’t already.

Knowing that there was no use in fighting the reality of my situation, I knew that I was better off just sitting back and taking it as it came. Before I would’ve held onto hope that I would one day be free of this prison, only now I had no hope left whatsoever. It was ironic, since I had a lot more hope when I was locked up in my cell but only now that I had an ounce of the freedom that I desired did my hope seem so far away. My days probably wouldn’t be any better than what they were before and I was already expecting a whole other level of misery, so despite that I didn’t want to, I might as well get used to it.

~*•°•*~

In the days that followed my initial transfer, I found myself in a stable routine. We were only allowed out of our cells four times a day; first for breakfast, then for exercise followed by lunch, after that was cleaning time and lastly, dinner. From what I had heard, we were only allowed to shower once a week which was hardly sanitary in my eyes. But then again, we were prisoners and in the guards eyes we didn’t deserve the simplest of luxuries. And if I didn’t think that I’d be treated like a slave before, than I definitely did now as we were expected to cook and prepare every meal for the guards. After that, we’d be forced to be fed with whatever was left of their scraps.

Everyone at the Boiling Rock seemed to know who I was and what I’d done, since every time I passed anyone I was given scornful looks and the occasional snotty remark. No doubt whoever was behind this establishment was trying to make my life as miserable as it could possibly be, and they were certainly succeeding.

The one good thing about my movement was the fact that I didn’t receive any private visitors anymore, but it didn’t change the fact that I could see them everywhere I went, mocking me with their very existence. Even though their faces had been covered every time they tormented me, I recognised their voices, their movements and anything that you could recognise about a person to identify them. Out in public, they hardly acknowledged me and treated me like any other prisoner. But when I was on my own, that was a different story.

Currently, I was out for my daily cleaning time. Given that my cell was right at the highest part of the prison and they just loved making things difficult me, I had to walk all the way to the bottom floor which made me more exhausted than I already was. Every time I went around anyone else, I made sure to act exactly how I would if I was still hunting the Avatar by keeping to myself and ignoring anyone who thought to approach my. But of course, things didn’t always go how I wanted them to.

Despite how hard I tried to make myself seem non-existent to everyone else, I could still feel the scornful looks that were sent my way with every turn and every move I made. In all honesty, I shouldn’t be surprised that I’d be treated this way considering how the Fire Nation viewed treachery. Not surprisingly enough, treachery was considered a worse crime than murder. Even people that I knew as murderers were looking at me as though I was beneath them for Agni’s sake. Which in a way, I was.

They still had their pride and dignity intact, while mine had been mercilessly snuffed out. Sure, they had been branded as murderers which in some eyes would be seen as immoral, but murder wasn’t cowardice like treachery was. In everyone’s eyes including my own, I was worse than a murderer. Like a spineless fool, I had allowed them to take whatever strength I had left which reduced me to nothing, just like what I was and all I ever would be.

Up above me, I could see the man who had first come to greet me after I had awoken from my unconscious state. Based on the way he was dressed compared to the other guards and how they acted towards him, I assumed that he was the Warden, which meant that he’d have the power to tell them to do whatever he wanted them to do to me. That thought on its own was enough to send shivers down my spine, knowing that he could have them do whatever he wanted without breaking a sweat or even having to worry about the consequences. He seemed to catch my lingered gaze at him and gave me a disdainful smirk before walking away, much to my relief.

However, my relief was short lived as I soon found myself surrounded the other prisoners who were on cleaning duty. Most of the time, everyone kept to themselves since I assumed that acting out in any way would result in serious punishment. But when it came to me, I had a feeling that I would be the rare exception for any kind of abuse, which sure enough, I was.

“Watch where you’re going, scum,” a man spat as he forcefully shoved me aside, when I wasn’t even anywhere near him.

It seemed as though people were practically looking for any reason to belittle me, even if they had to make it up on their own. The old me would’ve relished in having that sort of impact on anyone, but now I just wanted them to leave me in peace since I had already suffered enough in this wretched place.

“Give her a break, man. I mean, she’s hardly in any position to do anything given how worthless and pathetic she is,” another man commented.

Choosing to ignore their bating, I simply kept my head down as I continued to mop the floor. Although I hated doing this type of slave work, I found that it was actually good for me to stretch out my muscles and do something with them, considering I’d been confined to a small cell for the past month. And the quicker I got enough strength back, the better off I’d be. Part of me seriously doubted if I’d ever be fully okay again, since I’d already sustained enough injuries for a lifetime.

To add more insult to injury, another one of the prisoners who walked past me decided that I’d be a good spitting target as they spat right at me before muttering something inaudible under their breath. No doubt it was probably something rude against me. Knowing that I was in no position to react, I kept my head down and continued doing my work at my own pace.

But these people just couldn’t seem to get off my back, since I could literally feel someone watching me. At first, I just ignored them in the hopes that they would go away. But when I could still feel their gaze lingering on me, I decided to turn around to see just who was finding me so fascinating. Not one, but three men were standing behind me and I could practically see them assessing me. They then shared a look with one another before slowly approaching me, each with unreadable looks on their faces.

The closer they got to me, the more uncomfortable I felt. Slowly, I stepped backwards so that they would take the hint and just leave me alone. My retreating found me in the middle of one big hallway, with almost nobody around and I then realised that I’d made a mistake in leaving and that I should’ve just stayed where I was. At least then I would have witnesses.

“Tell me, bitch. What does it feel to have everything, only to loose it all in the blink of an eye?” the guy in the middle asked.

The guy on the right scoffed, “Like she’d respond to you. You know she doesn’t talk, right? Ironic considering her mouth is what got her here in the first place.”

The guy on the left nodded, “You know what they say about what you say coming back to bite you. It’s sad, really. You used to be one of the pride of the Fire Nation, now you’re just a _worthless, pathetic_ piece of nothing.”

Was this their version of a pep talk or what? They were only telling me what I already knew. Yes, I knew that I had lost everything in the blink of an eye. Yes, I did get myself into this mess. And yes, I know that I’m a worthless piece of nothing. I’ve had it said to me enough times already.

“You should know, girlie, that we don’t take too kindly to traitors around here. You’re not wanted here, just like you’re not wanted anywhere in life,” the guy on the right hissed.

Suddenly, I was grabbed by my throat and slammed against the wall. Since I was already in enough pain, I struggled as I was dangled above the ground with my body slammed against the wall.

“Now, we’re going to show you who’s really in charge around here,” the guy in the middle smirked as he ran his hand up the side of my face, much to my discomfort.

For a moment, it felt like they were marvelling at the site of me completely at their mercy, which I pretty much was. My body was too weak to defend myself and even if I tried to call out for help, it wasn’t like anybody would help me. They would just look the other way and let them have their way with me like everyone else. At that moment, I expected them to do something horrible to me but before they could even get another feel of me, there was another voice that echoed throughout the hall.

“Just what do you lot think you’re doing?”

Turning my eyes, I was surprised to see another man standing at the end of the hall. To my surprise, he was dressed in prisoner clothes so he had to have been one of us as well. His form was rather large, and I just knew that if he was to have his way with me that I would not last long given my current state.

“Ah, Chit Sang. How nice of you to stop by. We were just showing this bitch who’s in charge around here. Care to join us?” the one on the left drawled.

“No,” the man – Chit Sang, replied.

That caught me by surprise and it seemed to catch the three men by surprise as well since they all turned to look at each other in confusion. Quite frankly, I was just glad that I wouldn’t have anybody else to treat me like their personal punching bag.

“Do you have any other plans for her?” the one on the left asked.

Chit Sang shook his head, “Nope. Now, why don’t you lot scurry off and let _me_ take care of here.”

“Go for it, man,” the one on the right smirked.

Any likeliness that I had for this man was quickly snapped away at that. It wasn’t long before the three stooges left the corridor which left me and the large man alone. Part of me was glad that whatever I was about to be put through that it would only be at the hands of one man instead of three.

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to do anything to you,” Chit Sang reassured me. “You just have to give the impression that I did do something to you so that they back off.”

Raising my eyebrows in confusion, I wondered what on earth had warranted this change of events. Just moments ago I was expected to be beaten again, only now it looked like I’d be spared. But I still didn’t quite understand what was going on around here.

Noticing my confusion, Chit Sang explained, “I’m kind of like the top dog around here. The other prisoners respect my word and my authority more than they respect most guards. If I seemed to have taken an interest in you, they’ll bug off and leave you alone. Cause what’s mine is mine.”

Even though his explanation was somewhat understandable, it still baffled me just how cool he was being about the entire situation. He didn’t even seem interested one bit to do anything to me, which was strange given every experience that I’d had here.

“Listen, I know who you are. We all do. Every prisoner was made aware of who you were and what you’d done. As you’ve probably figured out, treachery isn’t a good crime to commit in the Fire Nation. Some people even see it worse than murder, which is exactly what brought me here in the first place,” Chit Sang clarified.

Although I’d only met the guy just a few moments ago, he didn’t exactly seem like the murderous type. Most murders commonly have no empathy for anyone, and he seemed to have empathy towards me for whatever reason.

“It was just my luck to be at the wrong place at the wrong time all those years ago. Sure, I’d had a few run-ins with the law before and didn’t exactly have a squeaky-clean record but I’d never killed anyone. They just believed I did when they saw me at the crime scene and that was enough to throw me in here. But it’s alright, since the guy I supposedly killed was some big mafia guy who’d done a lot of wrong, so that’s why these guys respect me so much,” Chit Sang elaborated.

Well that made more sense. Yet at the same time, it didn’t. You’d think that with the Fire Nation having more prisoners than anywhere in the world that they would be more careful about who they put in there, but I guess not since they so carelessly threw Chit Sang in here when he was innocent. At least that’s what he said he was, since for all I knew he could be some psychotic murder. It seemed as though I’d lost my ability to read people as well as I did before, which was a let down for me.

“If you ever run into trouble and I’m around, just give me a look and I’ll step in to make them know that you’re mine. Once everybody knows that, they’ll leave you alone,” Chit Sang offered.

“W-why?” I finally found my voice.

Chit Sang turned to me in surprise, “Oh, so you really do speak? The guards had told us that you’d gone mute and hadn’t said a word since you got here. Not that I can blame you for that. Anyways, you’re just a kid. You’ve probably been through more than most people could go through in a lifetime. Nobody deserves that shit, not even you.”

“You don’t know me,” I muttered.

“True, I don’t. But you’re still a kid and one of the youngest prisoners in this place. You don’t deserve that,” Chit Sang insisted.

“Easy for you to say,” I murmured.

Chit Sang sighed, “I’ve gotta go, kid. I’m due back in my cell soon and if I don’t get there in time the guards will have my head. That’s also something I should tell you; never do even the simplest thing wrong since they’ll look for any reason to throw you into the cooler. Watch out for yourself.”

With that, Chit Sang turned and left me standing in the corridor, somewhat baffled by the interaction that had just taken place. For someone who was supposed to be a prisoner, he treated me far better in a few moments than what most people had in my entire life. It seemed as though he didn’t want anything from me either, which was a surprise since in my experience most people always want something in return for anything.

At the same time, I was grateful for him for stepping in and stopping something that could’ve made me feel even worse than what I already did. Despite that, I was still wary of him since it wasn’t like anyone to go out of their way for me and for nothing in return. While he had saved me from trouble, he’d come off more mysterious than anything and that made me wary of him even more. In the meantime, I figured that I might as well get back to what I was supposed to be doing since I couldn’t afford getting into anymore trouble than what I already had.

~*•°•*~

After my first introduction with Chit Sang, my prison stay became somewhat more bearable. Just like he had said they would, people got the impression that I was with him and stayed clear of my way. Although there were still the few people who would fire snarky remarks my way and shoot dirty looks at me, they mostly just did it when nobody else was ever around. At one point, I passed Chit Sang in the courtyard who gave me a look of understanding that I returned.

Currently, I was sitting in the kitchen room after we finished preparing yet another meal for the guards. The prisoners were always left with what was left of their meals, which was hardly ever much. From what I had heard, we got one good day of food at least once a week. It seemed as though they were trying to keep us weak enough so that we wouldn’t be able to try anything but not weak enough so that we’d die.

Unlike everyone else, I just sat on my own since I knew that they wouldn’t want anything to do with me, just like I wouldn’t want anything to do with them. Technically, I was supposed to eat meals with everyone else but the guards hardly paid attention to us while we ate. In a way, that was my way of staying true to what little control of myself that I had left. It might not have been much, but it was enough for me.

Looking back, it really shouldn’t have come as a surprise to me that I’d end up the way I did. I’d always had a bit of a rebellious streak in me. Even back when I was at the Tatakai Stronghold I never followed the rules to their exact order, much to Daisuke’s annoyance which now served him right. Now that I was a prisoner, I was in no position to rebel otherwise things would only get worse for me and I certainly couldn’t afford any more trouble.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of someone approaching me. Assuming that they were just here to mock me, I simply turned the other way and ignored them. To my surprise, they didn’t have anything to say. They just sat down next to me and ate what was left of their food. When nothing came from her, I turned my eyes to see just who I was dealing with.

Sitting next to me was another girl and even more to my surprise, she seemed to be around my age as well. Getting a closer look of her, I saw that she had short auburn hair with blue eyes and light skin. Just based on the look on her face, I assumed that she wasn’t Fire Nation. You could tell based on the way she looked at the others that she hated anything and everything about being here, just like any non-Fire Nation citizen would. Plus, the Fire Nation wasn’t known for imprisoning young people, so I assumed that she had to have been a prisoner of war.

“Hey,” she acknowledged me after a brief silence.

Deciding not to speak to her, I simply acknowledged her presence in a silent way. She didn’t seem too fazed by my reaction, which made me wonder if she knew who I was just like everyone else did.

“Long days, right?” she asked in an attempt to make conversation with me.

Shrugging, I simply turned my attention back to my food as I slowly fed myself, hoping that she wouldn’t try to talk to me if I was eating. As much as she didn’t seem like a threat, I still didn’t want anything to do with her.

The girl sighed, “You’re actually the first person that I’ve seen around here that seems close to my age. Every other person is way too older than me for me to approach them. Of course, I’ve only been here for a few days. This is day number three for me. What about you?”

Adding up the math in my head, I remembered that I’d so far spent forty-seven days in this wasteland. To respond to her, I put up four fingers on one hand before adding another three on the other to answer her question.

“Oh, you don’t talk, don’t you? Can’t say I blame you,” the girl muttered bitterly. “As much as I’d love to give everyone here the silent treatment, I refuse to let the Fire Nation take away the last thing I have in my voice.”

So, she wasn’t Fire Nation after all. It was nice to see that I hadn’t completely lost my ability to read people. At that revelation, I couldn’t help but wonder what someone like her had done to end up somewhere like this. Surely the Earth Kingdom wouldn’t put a young girl like her in their army.

Hearing the echoing sound that meant our time in here was up, I simply got back up and left the girl on her own. Since she didn’t make any move to follow me, I assumed that all she was looking for was someone to vent her frustration out on. If I was in any position to do so, I’d do the same. But I wasn’t and I was alone in here, just like I’d always been in life.

~*•°•*~

Hours passed before I was let outside again, and this time it was for my daily exercise. Even though my body had somewhat recovered since I had been given an ounce of freedom, I was still pretty weak so I had resigned myself to smashing rocks open with an axe. It was definitely good for my upper body strength, which I now lacked for obvious reasons.

It seemed as though everyone treated exercise time like it was gold, since people always appeared to be in a different state when we were allowed out here. That was probably because it was the closest thing we got to freedom in this wretched place. As much as I tried to distance myself from the reality of my situation, I slowly found myself growing accustomed to my new life here. It was something that I might as well do anyways, since I was going to be spending the rest of my life here.

Someone else seemed to have joined me at my side as I was working away and I did what I always did whenever people approached me; I ignored them. That was, until I recognised her as the same girl from earlier. Silence fell over us as we worked away in sync until she finally acknowledged me again.

“Since we’re both around the same age, we might as well stick together if we want to make it through this,” the girl suggested.”

Ignoring her, I maintained my focus on the task at hand. While she might be offering me some form of friendship now, I reminded myself that if this was in the outside world, she probably wouldn’t want anything to do with me. I was Fire Nation, she was Earth Kingdom. There was no way we’d ever become friends.

The girl sighed, “You’re not much of a talker, are you?”

Hadn’t she figured that out already? Practically everyone around here knew that I didn’t talk, so it really shouldn’t come as a surprise to her. Unless she really didn’t know who I was and what I’d done. That would explain why she was even approaching me like this in the first place.

“Anyways, my name is Suki. I’d ask you what your name is but you probably wouldn’t give it to me anyways,” the girl, Suki said.

Before I could even stop myself, I found my voice betraying my resistance, “Abby. My name is Abby.”

Suki’s eyes widened at my sudden voice. Inwardly, I couldn’t help but smirk knowing that such a simple gesture had got such a reaction from her. All I did was speak, it wasn’t like I did something incredible.

“Sorry, you caught me off guard there. Anyways, Abby, what are you in for? I wouldn’t think that the Fire Nation would imprison someone as young as you are. You couldn’t be any more older than I am,” Suki noted.

“Guess,” I muttered, wondering how long it would take her to figure out who I really was and what I’d done.

“Hmm, con artist?” Suki asked.

Shaking my head, I urged her to keep guessing. In a way, I was kind of a con artist but that wasn’t the reason why I was behind bars. Suki would have to figure that out on her own.

“Robber?” Suki suggested.

Again, I shook my head.

“What about an assassin?”

Well, I kind of was an assassin but that wasn’t why I was here.

“Prisoner of war?”

Close enough, but no. So, I shook my head.

“How about… bounty hunter?” Suki suggested.

“Treachery,” I stated. Suki gave me a confused look, so I clarified it for her. “I’m here for treachery. I betrayed my country, so they put me in here.”

“Oh,” Suki murmured. “You know, I wouldn’t have guessed that.”

“What about you?” I asked, suddenly curious. “What did you do to get thrown in here?”

“Nothing,” Suki murmured bitterly. “I was just doing the right thing and helping a friend of mine. They’d lost something and I was trying to return it to them, but then she showed up. We fought, and I lost. So, she threw me in here.”

“Who?” I asked.

“The Fire Nation Princess,” Suki replied.

My eyes widened as I realised she was referring to Azula. I mean, there were hardly many princesses in the Fire Nation so it had to be Azula. Suddenly, I found myself admiring this girl in a new light. We certainly had more in common than I ever thought we would, since Azula was to blame for both of our imprisonments.

“Oh,” I said. “Yeah, Princess Azula isn’t one for being nice to anyone, only if they serve a purpose to her.”

“You say that like you know her,” Suki pointed out.

“You could say that she and I go back a fair bit,” I admitted. Which was the truth, since I’d unfortunately known Azula for years.

“Well, I’d only just met her and she already decided that she wanted to kill me only because I was trying to help the Avatar,” Suki said.

“You know the Avatar?” I asked, somewhat shocked.

Suki nodded, “Yeah. My homeplace is named after a previous life of his. He visited us a while back and he inspired my team to make a difference in the world.”

“Past life?” I repeated before it dawned on me as to where she was from. “You’re from Kyoshi Island, aren’t you? And your team is the Kyoshi Warriors.”

Suki nodded, “Yes, I am. And yes, they are. How would you know that?”

“Well, I like to know stuff,” I murmured. Again, that was true. For a brief time I’d studied the past few Avatar’s and learned of Kyoshi Island and the Kyoshi Warriors.

“I can only hope that Appa made it away safely, and that he got reunited with Aang to make this worth it,” Suki said.

“Appa? I repeated before I remembered where I heard that name from before. “The Avatar’s bison?”

“Yeah…” Suki trailed off before glancing at me. “How would you know that?”

“I guess you could say… I’m acquainted with the Avatar…” I trailed off, unsure of how to tell her that I’d try to kill them numerous times before.

“Wait a minute… Your name is Abby. Where have I heard that name before?” Suki wondered before it hit her. “You’re that crazy firebender chick, aren’t you?”

“Hey, I prefer to think of myself as a _former_ crazy firebender chick,” I snapped.

“Why am I just realising this now? It should’ve been obvious when you said your name was Abby. You’re insane! I can’t believe that I even thought to befriend you,” Suki ranted.

I narrowed my eyes, “You still wanted to befriend me, even when there was a higher chance that I was Fire Nation? And for the record, I said I was in here for treachery, which I am. Which means that I hold no more allegiance to the Fire Nation.”

“Oh,” Suki murmured. “C-can I ask why you, you know, turned?”

“I guess when you’re forced to experience life outside of the Fire Nation you get to see things in a new life, which I did. It made me rethink everything I ever knew before I ultimately made my decision,” I answered.

“Sorry I called you an insane, crazy firebender chick,” Suki apologised. “You know, when they told me about you they made you seem like you were the worst person on the planet. Even worse than Zuko.”

I shrugged, “Can’t say I blame them for thinking that. I was pretty terrible. I mean, I tried to kill them more than once.”

“Yeah, they mentioned that. What does surprise me though is that they made you seem like an insane person. Now, you hardly seem insane at all,” Suki pointed out.

“Truth be told, I was insane for a short period of time. I was fighting against a lot of things, mainly the truth that I had tried so hard to deny before I finally open my eyes and realised what a bitch I was,” I explained.

“You can’t be that bad if you realised your mistakes,” Suki reasoned.

“Trust me, I’m that bad,” I argued.

“Well, since you’re a traitor now you could come with me when I get out of here,” Suki suggested.

I scoffed, “You say that like we’re going to escape. Cause that’s the only way we’re getting out of here, sweetheart.”

Suki stared off into the distance, “There’s someone coming for me, I just know it. He’ll come get me out of here and even if he might disagree with it, I’ll convince him to let you join them.”

“Sounds like you’ve got yourself a night in shining armour,” I muttered.

“Yeah, I do…” Suki trailed off dreamily. “He’s the bravest person that I’ve ever met. At first, I didn’t like him because he was kind of a sexist pig but he showed me just what kind of person he could be in a few days after knowing him. It was hard to see him go the first time and even harder to walk away the second time. But I know he’s out there, and that he’s going to bust me out.”

“As much as your courage is admirable, it’s also blind faith. The Boiling Rock is the highest security prison in the Fire Nation. It’s inescapable,” I argued.

“But he is the smartest person that I’ve ever met. Plus, it helps that he’s travelling with the Avatar,” Suki added.

My eyes widened as I realised who she was referring to, “You mean that irritating boy with the ridiculous ponytail that could rival Prince Hotheads?”

“His name is _Sokka_ ,” Suki stated.

“I know his name,” I scoffed. “You really expect him to save you when he’s out there trying to save the _world_?”

“Sokka wouldn’t just leave me here to rot. He might not know where I am now, but he’ll soon find out that I’m here. Then he’ll bust me out. Just you wait,” Suki proclaimed.

“If you say so,” I murmured.

“I know so,” Suki declared.

“Well, that’s good for you but I’m stuck here, so if you knew what was good for you you’d just sit back and forget I existed,” I suggested.

Suki narrowed her eyes, “Like I said, I could convince them to let you join them. I’m sure they’d need someone to teach Aang firebending and you’d be the perfect candidate. You are a master, after all.”

“A master who has lost everything she’s ever had. No matter how hard you try to convince him or even them, they’d just be more than happy to leave me behind to suffer. Not that I wouldn’t deserve it,” I spat.

“Don’t say that,” Suki murmured.

“I can, because it’s the truth. Listen, when your Loverboy shows up you can run off with him and be happy together and leave me here without a second thought. All I’d do is get in the way of everything just like I always do so please, do me a favour and spare me from your thoughts,” I snapped.

Leaving Suki somewhat gobsmacked, I simply stood up and moved across to another part of the prison yard to complete my exercise time. Not to my surprise, Suki didn’t follow me and I was glad that she didn’t. If she did make any move to approach me again, I’d just have to ignore her and hope that she’d take the hint to leave me alone.

In the span of two days, I’d already found myself breaking my own promises that I’d made to myself which was to never get myself attached to anyone. I’d already unwittingly done that with Chit Sang and now, with Suki. No matter how hard they tried to get me on their side, I’d do my best to keep them away. After all, I didn’t deserve any form of care from anyone, and I’d make sure that they realised that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Abby’s met Chit Sang and Suki all in one chapter. Since this chapter took place sometime after Appa’s Lost Days and Azula would be in Ba Sing Se by now, it would make sense for Suki to get thrown into prison so quickly. As for Chit Sang, he’s going to play a bit of a different role in this story. Instead of being like he was in the show, he’s kind of gonna be like a guider for Abby and help her out when she needs it. You’ll see just how in future chapters, so stay tuned and review for more :).


	51. Future Envisions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, um hi. I know it’s been three weeks since I last update and I’m sorry about that. Things just got a bit busy for me with assignments, plus I was writing for Kataang and Tokka week so go and check those out if you want. In other news, this story now has over a total of one hundred favourites and follows so yay. This chapter takes place around the time of the Crossroads of Destiny and I hope that it makes the wait worth it.

Much to my annoyance, Suki continued to pester me after our first meeting. Based on my understandings, she’d lead herself into thinking that there was a way for her to get out of here, and that I wasn’t as bad as I thought I was. Both of those thoughts were wrong, since there was no way for her to get out of here, even if by some miracle her Loverboy would come to rescue her. He’d still have to get her out of here, which is easier said than done.

Stepping out into the prison yard, I sucked in a deep breath of fresh air before exhaling as I took in my surroundings. Since it had been roughly two weeks after I was released from my old cell, I was slowly beginning to recover from that ordeal which meant getting more of my strength back, even if I was still pretty weak. But it still meant that I was able to do more things with every day, and for that I was thankful.

My gaze turned to the sky, which looked so welcoming and free, compared to down here that was anything but that. While people weren’t as harsh as they could be towards me, I still received my fair share of belittling from the guards and the other inmates. Most of the other prisoners had backed off after Chit Sang gave them a few warnings, but the guards were much harder to deal with. Mainly because they were constantly around me and refused me to let have any upper hand over them.

Now it was time for me make the most of my daily exercise routine, which was the only bit of freedom that I had in my eyes. Although I was still trapped, I was at least allowed to do something and had the choice of doing what I wanted, even if my options were limited. It wouldn’t be long before Suki joined me, since we seemed to have the same hours for everything. While it was good to have at least someone to talk to in a civil way, it was still annoying since she always found a way to get under my skin.

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before Suki joined my side as we worked together underneath the steam that came from the Boiling Rock. In the time that I had known Suki, I had gotten to know a bit more about her. From what she had told me, her mother died in childbirth with her while her father died on an expedition and had since been raised by her Island’s leader. At eight-years-old, Suki had begun her training for the Kyoshi Warriors and based on her spirit alone, I could tell that she was a strong fighter. Plus, she had that look in her eye that said she could take you head on if she wanted to.

“So, how’s you’re day been so far?” Suki asked.

“Awful,” I replied.

“Oh…” Suki trailed off awkwardly. “Well, I’m sure it’ll get better.”

“It never does,” I stated.

Suki sighed, “You really are a pessimist, aren’t you?”

“I wouldn’t say I’m a pessimist, I’d say that I’m just stating the obvious,” I argued.

“Sounds pretty pessimistic to me,” Suki commented.

“Well, that’s you and I’m me. In case you haven’t realised it already, we’re both different,” I snapped.

“You really do see no hope for yourself, don’t you?” Suki observed.

“Haven’t I made that obvious already?” I quipped.

“You can’t just give up on hope – that’s what they want you to do. And based on what Sokka told me, you’re not one to give up when things get tough so you can’t give up now. Not when there’s still a chance,” Suki insisted.

I scoffed, “You really think you know me just because of a few words from a boy with a boomerang, don’t you? I hate to burst your bubble sweetheart but that was who I _was_ and not who I am anymore. You’ve already seen that I’ve changed.”

“You’ve might’ve changed your personal beliefs, but that doesn’t mean you’ve changed who you are,” Suki pointed out.

“But by being forced to sit back and experience all kinds of misery with no way out, I have changed. When you go through something like that, it’s something that you have to get used to. Something that you can’t fight, since fighting will only make it worse,” I said.

“But fighting gives you hope, which you clearly need,” Suki argued.

“I don’t need hope. I just need the strength to make it from one day to the next,” I stated.

“That strength can come from hope,” Suki suggested.

“It doesn’t. My strength doesn’t come from hope; it comes from everything that I’ve been through. Even though now I don’t have that much strength in me, I still use it to keep going,” I rambled.

“Because it’s the only hope you have left,” Suki insisted.

I glared at her, “I have _no_ hope left. Why would I, when I’m locked in the most secure prison in the Fire Nation and have no way of getting out?”

“Sokka will come and bust us out,” Suki proclaimed.

“You mean he’ll bust _you_ out. He wouldn’t want anything to do with me; not that I wouldn’t blame him,” I scoffed.

Suki sighed, “But you still can’t give up. If you can win me around I’m sure you’ll win Sokka around.”

“I have no intentions of ‘winning him around’ as you put it,” I snapped.

“So what, you’re just going to sit back and take all of the crap that they give you?” Suki asked.

“It’s what I deserve,” I crossed my arms.

“No it’s not. Nobody deserves that sort of treatment, especially not you. I wouldn’t even wish that on the Fire Nation Princess who put me in here,” Suki said.

My blood ran cold at the mention of Azula as my mind flickered back to the lightning bolt that she hurled at me. The memory was enough to remind me of the pain that my entire body experienced on that fateful day and I grunted in repressed agony.

“Are you okay?” Suki questioned.

“Just… remembering past trauma,” I answered. “If you’ll excuse me, I have work to do and that makes no more time for chit chat.”

“You can’t avoid this forever,” Suki called.

“Watch me,” I muttered.

Once I was away from Suki, I continued about with my daily routine. Slowly, I was beginning to grow accustomed to my life here and as much as that terrified me, it was something that I would have to deal with. There was no escaping this place and I was going to be stuck here for the rest of my life. Not even Suki’s night in shining armour could help me and although I wouldn’t say it to her, I doubted that he could help her either.

My usual job consisted of smashing pieces of rock into smaller pieces so that they could be used for coal. This was the only job that gave me some sort of power, since I was able to take out whatever emotions I felt on the rocks. With every smash, I was able to unleash every bit of pent up energy that I kept inside. It wasn’t the same as blasting their heads off with my own firebending, but it was still enough to keep me satisfied.

Footsteps could be heard from behind me and I just maintained my focus on my task at hand, since that was what was expected of us. But my attention was caught when I felt a hand forcefully grab my shoulder and I hesitantly turned around. My gut sank when I stared into the eyes of one of my abusers and by abusers, I didn’t mean the other inmates. Although Chit Sang could get the prisoners off my back, there was nothing he could do about my guards.

Slowly, he leaned towards me so that his mouth was just inches away from my ear as he whispered into it. “I’ve been deprived of some quality time with you for far too long, my dear. Keep your hands where I can see them and I promise I’ll be gentle.”

Shivers went down my spine at the implication of his words. By ‘quality time’ I knew that he meant having his way with me in the most disgusting way possible. As much as I wanted to give him one straight in the jugular, there was nothing I could do without warranting anymore pain and suffering. And I didn’t want to risk losing the small bit of freedom that I had.

Reluctantly, I followed him out of the courtyard and I could feel someone’s gaze following me, so I briefly turned around to see Suki staring at me before I gave her my best reassuring nod. It wasn’t long before I was lead down a dark corridor that didn’t lead to any of the cells which made me realise that this was what it’s purpose was probably for. Expectedly, I was forcefully shoved against the wall as my hands were held above my head.

Just like I tried to do every time something like this happened, I did my best to block out every touch, every feeling and every word that came from him. I tried to imagine myself beating the fuck out of him, which only made me want to do that even more. Everything about this situation was being patient, and waiting for the moment to pass which was exactly what I wasn’t good at. Patience had never exactly been my forte and it was certainly a skill that I could use now.

In an instant, I felt the force against my body relieve itself which left me shakily leaning against the wall. Only once I was sure I was alone did I look around to see if I was, which was the case. Relief swept through me knowing that my ordeal was over, for now at least. My back slid down the wall as I let my exhaustion get the better of me. It was almost laughable how pathetic I was being and I knew that my old self would be whacking me on the back of my head for acting like this.

But experiences like this change people, and they change the way you feel about yourself. And right now, I wasn’t feeling so good about myself. There was nothing that could make me feel worse than how I felt now, which was worse than how I’d ever felt in my entire life.

~*•°•*~

Ironically, the only time I ever felt safe was in my cell. When I was outside, I was surrounded by people who constantly ridiculed and abused me. When I was in my cell, I was by myself and allowed to freely entertain myself with my own thoughts without fearing for whoever I bumped into. Being in my cell gave me time to think and time to reflect, which wasn’t really something that I could do in my other cell since I was constantly being tortured on a daily basis.

One thing that was constantly on my mind was the past and what I could’ve, should’ve and would’ve done differently. Looking back, I could’ve made my decision earlier because maybe then I wouldn’t have ended up like this. Who knows, I could’ve wound up with the Avatar and his rag-tag team? Logically speaking, I shouldn’t have been so blinded by my loyalties and made a different decision from the beginning. Now that I am locked up in a cell with no way out, I would’ve never easily pledged my loyalties to Daisuke.

Everything wrong that had happened to me was my own fault and could’ve easily been avoided. If things had been done differently I never would’ve ended up like this. I never should’ve ended up like this, locked up in a cell with nothing but my own thoughts to keep me company and then the worst people possible to deal with. There was nothing that could get me through this. Not even my training was enough to get me through this, as it had already shown given how I had ended up now.

Unfortunately for me, there wasn’t that much time that I had to myself in my cell since there was always someone who unexpectedly showed up to spoil the only freedom that I had in this wretched place. Sometimes I imagined myself actually breaking out and finding freedom in this messed up world. But that was only wishful thinking, since I knew that I was never getting out of here regardless of what happened with the war. If the Avatar won, I’d still be locked up in here as a war criminal and rightfully so. If Ozai won, I’d still be locked up forever. Whatever the outcome was, I was screwed.

As much as I wanted to envision myself with a peaceful future, I knew that it was something I could only ever dream of. In my eyes, the perfect future consisted of me being on my own, with nobody chasing after me or wanting me dead. I’d be able to walk around without fearing for anybody spotting me or getting into some sort of confrontation. Maybe then I wouldn’t constantly be on my guard and would actually be able to trust myself with people, which was something that I couldn’t remember doing for the longest time.

My wishful thinking often got the best of me, and there were plenty of times when I found myself in a state of emptiness as I think about what could’ve been. It’s sad, really. That despite being as young as I am that I was doomed from the start. There was never going to be a happy ending for me, regardless of how my life turned out. Mainly because darkness followed me wherever I went, and there would never be one moment of relief from the restraints of this world I found myself locked in.

A loud smashing noise interrupted my repressive thoughts and I looked up to see that my door had opened. Sighing, I forced myself out and made my way onto the edge as I passed by the other prisoners. To them, I was still an outsider and a disgrace to their country. I’d practically committed the biggest sin I could ever commit and I’d be forever condemned to their distaste. My walk lead me to the lowest floor of the prison, which only meant the more stairs I had to walk up. For anyone else, that would be no problem but when you’ve been battered and bruised it’s hard to walk up four flights of stairs after you’ve already been through enough pain.

Today was one of the days where Suki joined me on cleaning duty, since we didn’t always have the same schedule but we sometimes wound up in the same place at the same time. As much as it was nice to have someone around who didn’t look at me with disgust, Suki’s presence often became too much, especially when she always insisted on believing her delusions about me when they were just that – delusions.

“Hey, Abby. I was wondering where you disappeared to,” Suki greeted me.

“I went back to my cell,” I stated.

Suki nodded, “That, I can see. But before that? What happened with that guy who dragged you off?”

“Nothing that concerns you,” I muttered, since it was true.

There was nothing about this situation that deserved Suki’s attention. If she knew what was good for her, she’d just look the other way and ignore my very existence. While she probably already wasn’t in the good books of the other prisoners because she was an outsider, her association with me probably did her no favours either.

“But the way he grabbed you… and that look on your face…” Suki trailed off before eliciting a gasp. “Please don’t tell me that he didn’t, you know…”

“If it helps you sleep at night,” I replied.

“That’s horrible! How could they do that to you? You’re barely even an adult and they’re treating you like one!” Suki exclaimed.

“That’s how the Fire Nation works, sweetheart. From the moment you can talk and understand full sentences, you’re condemned to the Fire Nation’s twisted way of life. You grow up before anyone else can, and before you know it, you’re a trained killer,” I explained.

“But what they must do to you… it’s so twisted and messed up. I wouldn’t even force that on the Fire Nation Princess for putting me in here,” Suki admitted.

Again, I felt myself black out at the mention of Azula. Any mentions of her brought unsettling memories in my mind. There was never any good memories with her, they were always bad and filled with pain. Not to mention, they were a constant reminder of how badly I’d screwed up and brought this fate upon myself.

“Listen, Suki. I’m a special kind of prisoner. And you wanna know why? Because I’m a traitor. I betrayed my country. In their eyes, that’s the greatest sin of all which makes this punishment justifiable,” I said.

“But you betrayed your country for the _right_ reasons. That doesn’t mean that you should have to suffer at the hands of the people who share your own heritage,” Suki insisted.

“Regardless of why I did it, I deserve it. And if I were you, I’d put as much distance as you could between yourself and me so you don’t suffer anymore than you should,” I suggested.

Suki shook her head, “No. I’m not abandoning you for my own self-preservation. One thing that you should know about me is that I’m a loyal friend and I’d be willing to go down in flames for them if I had to. And you’re my friend, whether you want to admit it or not. So you’re stuck with me.”

“F-friend?” I stammered, since that word had always been so foreign to my vocabulary.

“Yeah, I think we’ve known each other long enough to be friends,” Suki gave me a soft smile.

“It’s just that… I’ve never really had proper friends,” I admitted awkwardly.

Suki raised her eyebrows, “Really? You’ve never had one friend?”

“Do associates count?” I asked.

“If you only consider them associates and nothing more than no, it doesn’t count,” Suki chuckled.

“Then yes, I’ve never had any real friend. Everyone who I’ve always considered myself relatively close to has always just used me or only stayed with me out of fear for what I’d do if they didn’t,” I said.

“Not even where you, you know, grew up?” Suki questioned.

My mind flashed back to the people I knew at the Tatakai Stronghold. There was Kenji and Liling, who were only teachers and carers to me and nothing more. Then there was Seung, who I only knew because we trained together. He probably considered me a friend, but I’d never opened myself up to him to the point where I could consider him a friend. Other than them, there was nobody else who stuck out to me.

“Especially not where I grew up. While I might’ve lived with people my own age, we were trained to fight. Not to be friends,” I answered.

“Maybe if you had had an actual friend back then maybe you wouldn’t be as closed off as you are now,” Suki observed.

“Yeah, maybe. But I guess I’ll never know,” I murmured.

Silence fell over us and I could still feel Suki staring at me with her blue eyes. It was strange how looking into different peoples eyes could be so… different. There were so many eyes that I could remember which only left me feeling empty on the inside. Suki’s eyes were comforting and soft, which wasn’t exactly what I was used to. It was somewhat admirable that she hadn’t allowed the prisons torture to break her spirits, unlike me who cracked under the pressure. Funny how someone with no survival training wound of staying true to themselves while I had allowed them to corrupt me, despite the training that I had been through to withstand that treatment.

“Abby, can I ask you something?” Suki asked hesitantly.

“You already did,” I shrugged.

“Do you honestly believe that there is no hope for you?” Suki inquired.

I sighed, “Suki, there’s something else you should know about me. And that would be that I’m a lost cause, meaning that there is nothing that could save me. So don’t waste your time saving me when your attempts will be in vein.”

“I wish there was something I could do to help inspire you. I also wish that we had met under different circumstances, because even despite our obvious differences I think that we would’ve been good friends,” Suki offered a small smile.

“Who knows,” I murmured. “But there’s nothing that could ‘inspire’ me. Any fire that I had has been snuffed out to make me more miserable than I could possibly be. It’s not like I wouldn’t deserve it anyways, after everything that I’ve done. There is nothing that you could say or do to convince me otherwise.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw one of my _associates_ glaring at Suki and I. Realising that we had been slacking off in our work, I quickly got back to it so that I wouldn’t receive anymore pain. Suki seemed to notice this and looked around before noticing the face who haunted my nightmares. I guess she noticed the affect that he had on me, which she didn’t like at all as she scrunched up her fists in rage.

Before I could even do anything to stop her, Suki stormed over to the man with flaring rage in her eyes. I never would’ve thought that I could see her that angry, and she probably wouldn’t be if it weren’t for me. Now she was about to only cause more trouble for herself, and there was nothing that I could do about it.

“Hey, you! Who do you people think you are, tormenting innocent people like they’re worthless?” Suki yelled, earning the attention of everyone around us.

“What have I done to give you that impression, miss?” the man asked in a sickeningly cocky voice.

“You and your little friends treat everyone here like they’re dirt, just because they’re criminals! Well, criminals are people too! And maybe they wouldn’t be criminals if your country didn’t corrupt people with its regimental beliefs,” Suki ranted.

“Are you blaming us for their poor decision making, dirt girl?” he questioned as he spit on the ground near where Suki was standing.

Suki narrowed her eyes, “Yes, I am blaming you for destroying peoples lives! There are some people here who don’t even deserve to be here, but you lock them up anyways because you sick people have no sense of morality!”

“Suki, don’t,” I warned her.

He smirked at me, “You should listen to your friend, dirt girl. The penalty for speaking out of term is a lot harsher than you could imagine, you wasted scum.”

“There is nothing that you could do to break me down!” Suki proclaimed.

“Really? Then why don’t we put that resolve of yours to the test? Men, take her away and perhaps slam some sense into her,” the man suggested.

“Go ahead and do your worst!” Suki snapped as she was lead away by the guards.

While Suki’s resolve and passion was admirable, in a place like this it was something that you couldn’t show. Any sign of revolting was dealt with serious consequences, just like Suki was about to receive now for her outburst. Although I hadn’t done a good job of it, I had still tried to warn her but Suki chose to send herself to her own fate.

People like Suki didn’t deserve that treatment, especially when she didn’t even do anything wrong. Me, on the other hand, was a completely different story. There was no amount of torture or suffering that would not be justifiable for me. If there was a way for me to take the pain and suffering that Suki was about to endure, I would. Because she didn’t deserve that, unlike me who deserved everything that had been done to tear me apart from the inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It would seem that Suki’s appearance hasn’t done much to Abby’s stubbornness. Again, sorry for keeping you guys waiting for that long month but hopefully this makes up for it. Updates for this story should remain at a normal pace now, but there might be a few delays and if that’s the case, just wait for the next week to pass before getting the missed chapter.


	52. Sweet Misery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From the time that I first posted this story on fanfiction, it has now been a year since this story began and it's safe to say that that is the longest that I have gone on a story without giving up which is an accomplishment for me so happy anniversary or birthday to Blinding Horizon.

Another day passed, bring my total of days spent in this wretched place to fifty-six days. That also meant that it had been over a wink since I had met Suki. Thinking about Suki made me nervous, since I hadn’t seen her in almost two days after her outburst with the guards. My greatest fear for her was that they would eventually snuff out any resolve or strength that she had left, and I didn’t want that for her. I didn’t want her to end up as miserable as I was. She didn’t deserve that.

Asking around for her had done me no favours, since the guards just spat at me and didn’t bother answering my questions, while most of the other prisoners hardly had any idea as to who she was. Strangely enough, I found that I actually missed Suki in the time that she was gone. It was weird being without her, which was weird in it of itself since I had gotten used to being ostracised from anyone and everyone.

Finally, when it came time for my daily exercise time I spotted Suki’s familiar hair amongst the crowd. Not too eagerly, I made my way towards her since I didn’t want her to think that I missed her or anything, which I didn’t. I’d barely known her for a week. That isn’t enough time to miss someone.

Luckily for Suki, she didn’t appear to have suffered much harm and that made my blood boil. She had practically assaulted a guard and barely seemed to have a scratch. While I had never even made a move out of line to receive the treatment that I got. Suki was an outsider, and she hardly even got the treatment that most outsiders got. What made her so special that she didn’t get any physical abuse?

“I see that you’re still standing on both legs,” I observed as I approached her.

Suki turned to face me, “Yes. My punishment wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.”

“What did they do to you?” I asked, since they had to have done _something_ to her.

“I had a lecture from one of the guards before they put me in confinement and in one of those box things. I forget what they’re called but it was freezing cold in there the whole time,” Suki replied.

“You mean the cooler,” I stated as I realised what she was referring to.

Suki nodded, “Yes, that thing. It was _freezing_ in there. I thought I was going to freeze to death!”

I scoffed, “That’s what they call it a _cooler_. And they wouldn’t actually let you die. Not on their watch.”

“How have you been since… they put me in there?” Suki asked hesitantly.

I shrugged, “Could be worse, could be better. You know I can look after myself without you, right?”

“Sometimes I don’t see that,” Suki muttered.

Not wanting to get into an argument with her, I simply put some distance between us and went about my normal routine. That seemed to be enough of an indication for Suki, since she left me alone after that. For which I was glad since I didn’t really feel like being around her now. I’d expected her to come back battered and bruised, only to have gotten a mere stay in the cooler. If I had that option, I would’ve spent a whole month in that thing if it meant taking away the beatings that I received.

That was more than enough of an indication for me that I deserved this. Suki didn’t, which was why she only got a short stay in the cooler. If I hadn’t deserved all of the pain and suffering, they would’ve just kept me locked up from the beginning. But I did deserve it, unlike Suki, and now I was paying the price for it.

~*•°•*~

There was a strange feeling in the air during the next few days. It was difficult to put my finger on it, but there was just something that I could sense which I didn’t like. The guards seemed to be satisfied with whatever that was as they’d been far more harsher to any outsider prisoners or traitors, which was only about a quarter of the prisons population. Even some of the actual prisoners appeared to be happy at whatever had happened, which meant that it had to be something about the war.

The looks I kept on getting was enough indication that something had to have happened. Sometimes it was almost as though they were _celebrating_ about something which was weird, since as far as I was aware prisons didn’t celebrate anything. Not even important Fire Nation holidays were a part of the prisons calendar. As much as I wanted to, it was hard to ignore the way some of the guards and prisoners were acting. It only made me want to find out what exactly was going on, but I knew that it wasn’t my place to ask.

It soon came time for another one of my cleaning schedules, which found me mopping up the kitchens after the guards had finished their lunch in there. The guards always made sure to leave enough mess behind for us to clean up, except today it seemed like there was more of that than usual, which I put down to whatever had put the guards in the mood that they were in.

In a strange way, mopping was somewhat therapeutic for me. It was hard to explain, but it just felt strangely calming to mop the dirty prison floor. Plus, it helped that the mop made a somewhat useable weapon so if the time ever called for it, I’d use it to my advantage. But the time would never call for it, because there was no way that I was going to risk what little freedom I had just to make a small stand.

Mopping didn’t seem to be only therapeutic for me but for others as well, since I could see another girl beside me who was more than happy to do this chore. This wasn’t actually the first time that I had seen her, since we often shared similar shifts that made our paths cross. But I had never spoken to her, just like she had never spoken to me. I liked it better that way, since the less people who attached themselves for me, the better it was. Not just for me, but for them as well.

Of course, not everyone seemed to share that thought since the girl happily made her way towards me as we mopped the floor in together. Silence fell over us for a few moments, and I hoped that she wouldn’t acknowledge me but of course, that is exactly what happened.

“It’s fun, isn’t it?” she said.

“What?” I found myself asking before I could stop myself.

“Mopping. I never really liked chores before but since I’ve come here it gives me a distraction,” she replied.

“It helps,” I shrugged.

“I’m sure this must be new for you too, considering where you came from,” the girl observed.

I raised my eyebrows, “You… know who I am?”

“Almost everyone knows who you are. How could they not, when you’re the famed _Dragoness_ who gave up everything that she had to turn traitor,” the girl answered.

“In hindsight it wasn’t really worth it,” I muttered, since sometimes I found myself wondering that very same question. I had given up everything that I had, only to be made a mess of because of it. But at the same time, I’m not really sure if I would undo it given the opportunity.

“If it makes you feel any better, I didn’t know who you were before that. Of course, that’s mainly because I’ve been in prison for the last two years. It kind of shuts you off from the outside world,” the girl said.

“No kidding,” I murmured.

“I guess since I know who you are, it’s only fair that you know who I am,” the girl stated.

“I’m going to stop you right there. If you knew what was good for you, you’d stay away from me,” I interjected.

She didn’t seem to take that warning, “My name is Rei and I don’t care what those guards say. In my opinion, they’re losers.”

“Don’t let them hear you say that,” I suggested.

Rei shrugged, “I’ve done worse things.”

“Like what?” I queried, wondering how someone like her could’ve ended up in here.

“Let’s just say that I’d caused some problems for the Fire Nation government before they threw me in here,” Rei replied.

“Like what?” I questioned.

“Nothing that I’d consider serious, but you know what the Fire Nation’s like. They don’t like it when you get in the way of things. They decided that I was a ‘danger to life as they knew it’ so they put me in here,” Rei answered.

“Who’s they?” I wondered.

“It’s best you don’t know,” Rei murmured.

“Like it’s best for you to stay away from me,” I advised.

Rei chuckled, “Too late for that. I like you, Abby. You’re cool and you’ve got guts. I like that.”

“Everyone has guts,” I pointed out.

“And a sense of humour too, apparently,” Rei murmured.

“I’m just stating the obvious,” I argued, since I was. We all have guts, whether you meant literally or figuratively.

“I’ve also heard that you know how to make a pretty good fight. Fighting hasn’t been my thing, since I’ve always been a non-bender,” Rei admitted.

“Am I supposed to feel sorry for you?” I asked.

“Of course not. I’m glad to be a non-bender because it has only made me stronger and fight harder. But I’m still lacking in some parts,” Rei said.

“I’m sure you’ll brush up on your skills in no time,” I murmured.

“I could always use a teacher. And there’s not that many people who would want to teach me,” Rei propositioned.

I raised my eyebrows, “What are you saying?”

“Would you want to teach me how to fight? I’ve always wanted to learn from someone like you and I could certainly use that bite around here,” Rei said.

“Sorry to disappoint you but I’m no teacher. And you wouldn’t want to learn from me,” I snapped.

“Why’s that? I hear you’ve had experience,” Rei noted.

“It doesn’t matter. I’m not worth your time or your energy, so I suggest that you do yourself a favour and act like I don’t exist,” I advised her.

“It’s hard to do that considering you’re practically the talk of the prison yard,” Rei stated.

“Nothing interesting must happen in this place if all you people can talk about is me,” I muttered.

“You are an interesting topic of discussion. It’s not everyday someone like you ends up in here. Sure, there’s other traitors in this place but none quite like you,” Rei observed.

“Aren’t all traitors the same?” I asked.

“Not necessarily. Some betray their country, some betray their families or their organisations. You betrayed all of the above,” Rei explained.

I scoffed, “I don’t have any family.”

“Wasn’t the man who raised you practically family?” Rei questioned.

My blood boiled at the reference of Daisuke. That man was _nothing_ like family. And he certainly didn’t raise me. If anything, he trained me. To be a killer. And I wasn’t a killer. Because technically, I had never killed anyone. No matter how much Daisuke had pressured me into doing so. After everything he’d put me through, I refused to acknowledge him like that.

“That man did _not_ raise me and he was _not_ family,” I hissed.

Just like that, I turned around and left Rei or whoever she was standing there and walked as fast away as I could. It seemed as though nowadays all I was doing was dealing with confrontation and that was the last thing I needed or wanted to deal with now. All I wanted to do was serve the rest of my sentence in as much peace as I could, but that seemed to be too much to ask.

~*•°•*~

Hours later, I found myself sitting in the cafeteria as I ate my dinner in silence. The looks and behaviour from the guards only continued as the day went on. Sitting in silence, I watched as the other prisoners acted around with one another. Observations could only get you so far, since I couldn’t tell what had gotten them to act that way and it was starting to irritate me.

What right did they have to act all happy while I was sitting aside and wasting away in misery? What right did they have that I didn’t to not know what was going on? All I wanted was to find out exactly what was going on around here. But considering my status amongst the prisoners I figured that I’d be stuck in the dark like this for the rest of my everlasting stay.

Eventually, I was joined by someone else but they didn’t acknowledge me as they just sat down. I didn’t even bother to look up at who it was since it obviously wasn’t anyone important. But when I heard what sounded like tears coming from that person, I turned to see who it was. To my surprise, it was Suki. Figures that it would be her, since nobody else would think to come close to me like this. But what I didn’t understand was why she was crying.

“What’s with the tears?” I asked.

“It’s bad, Abby. Really bad,” Suki cried.

“What is it?” I insisted.

Suki sighed, “It’s over. We’ve lost.”

I raised my eyes, “What do you mean we’ve lost?”

“The Avatar is dead and Ba Sing Se has fallen,” Suki replied.

Shock swept over me at Suki’s revelation. The Avatar… dead? As much as I thought it would happen eventually I didn’t actually think that it would happen. Without the Avatar, the world was doomed. Doomed to be forced under Ozai’s rule until the man got was coming for him. But nothing would change after that, since Azula would take charge and I couldn’t even imagine what she would do to the world.

“How?” I questioned.

Suki sighed, “It’s all my fault. I let this happen.”

“It’s not your fault. How could you let that happen when you’re in here?” I wondered, genuinely confused.

“ _Azula_ snuck into Ba Sing Se disguised as the Kyoshi Warriors with her little friends. Aang went to stop her… But it was for nothing. Prince _Zuko_ killed him!” Suki hissed.

Another wave of shock swept through me. Prince Hothead actually _killed_ him? Part of me didn’t believe that, since he had never once made it seem like he actually wanted the kid dead. It was always about capturing him and taking the kid home as a prize to his daddy. Plus, Hothead didn’t really seem like the murdering type, unlike his sister.

I shook my head, “I don’t buy it.”

“It’s true. It’s the word on the prison yard. Everyone’s been talking about it. Apparently his banishments been revoked and he’ll be returning home as a _hero_ like he actually did something right!” Suki exclaimed.

“Still don’t buy it. Prince Hothead never seemed like the murdering type. All he ever wanted to do was capture the kid, not kill him,” I explained.

“Well he took that a step further,” Suki muttered bitterly. “Now there’s no hope for us at all! With that evil princess and her manic father in charge we’re condemned to spend the rest of our lives in here.”

“What about your Loverboy?” I asked.

“He can only do so much. Without Aang… There’s hardly anything that he can do. Nobody’s safe anymore,” Suki replied.

“Nobody ever was safe,” I stated.

Suki sat up straight, “But I can’t give up on Sokka. I _have_ to keep believing that Sokka will come for me eventually. Maybe even you, too. So we can both escape.”

“Don’t get your hopes up, sweetheart. There’s nothing to hope on. Not anymore,” I muttered as I stood up and left the cafeteria, my own words echoing through my mind.

It was true, there was nothing to hope for anymore. Not now that the Avatar was dead. Any small fragment of hope that I may have had was truly snuffed out. Without the Avatar, there truly was no way for me to get out of this prison. Escaping wasn’t an option and I doubted that I’d be let out anytime soon. Part of me had actually believed that there was hope but now I knew that there was none, and that exactly what happened every time I got my hopes up.

As I strolled down the walkway with my arms crossed and my head down low, I noticed several guards not too far away from me. Since the last thing I wanted to deal with was any ridicule from them, I just turned the other way in the hopes of returning to my cell. But they seemed to have the idea of following me as their footsteps only became closer until I felt myself yanked back by my collar.

“Well, well, well. Look what we have here,” one of them drawled.

“Thought you’d like to know that as of a few days ago, we’ve won. This world is ours and it makes what you did pointless,” the second one mocked me.

“It must suck, to know that you gave up everything for nothing. Now you have to spend the rest of your life with us, and we’ll make sure you know why,” the third one smirked in a way that so badly made me want to smack it off his face, but I knew that I couldn’t do that.

“You should’ve known that you were fighting a lost cause, since it was only inevitable that the Fire Nation would reign supreme,” the second one gloated.

“Enjoy the rest of your life in here, you treacherous scum. Because there’s no way out for you,” the first one spat.

Not even bothering to fight back, I simply just stood there and let them shove my roughly against the wall before leaving me to myself. That had all but confirmed what Suki had just told me; the Fire Nation had won and there was no way out for us. From this point on, things were only going to get even more harder for us. What could we expect, when one of us is a traitor and the other is an outsider? This is our life now.

This was officially the worst that I had felt since I got in this Agni forsaken place, and that’s saying something considering I’ve had some pretty low points up until now. It was hard to compare what this feeling felt like, but it was definitely worse than anything that I had ever experienced, knowing that there truly was no way out for me. Not wanting to stand here and wallow in my own self-pity, I headed off towards my cell to hopefully have some of my own time to myself where I could wallow in self-pity in peace.

~*•°•*~

For the next few hours, I refused to come out of my cell. Not even for my scheduled dinner meal. Dinner wasn’t going to make me feel better considering how I felt now. I don’t think that there was anything that could’ve made me feel better. It was ironic, that the worst day of my sentence was when I hardly received punishment for anything. But I’d consider the news that I just got and how I got it another form of punishment.

Just when I thought that nothing could get worse in this wretched place, everything just blew up in my face. Everything that I had given up now seemed pointless since it had all been for nothing. The Avatar had lost. The Fire Nation had won. What more was there for me to do except sit here and wait out my sentence in peace? As much as I didn’t want to be here, there really was nothing left for me outside of the Boiling Rock. This was all I had.

A knock on my door snapped me out of my thoughts and I looked up as I waited to see who it was. Knowing that there was no point in saying ‘come in’ or anything like that since they always did that on their own terms, I just sat there. To my surprise, it was Ming who entered my cell. I hadn’t seen her in a few days and I was starting to think that she had given up on me, which would be smart for her. I wasn’t worth her effort.

“Hello, Abby,” Ming greeted me sombrely.

“Hello,” I murmured.

“I’m sure that by now you’ve heard what’s happened in the Earth Kingdom,” Ming said.

I sighed, “Yes. The War is over and the Fire Nation has won.”

“Yes, we have. As I’m sure you’re aware, the Fire Nation Capital City Prison holds some of the nations most important criminals. They’re about to receive a new arrival which means that security at the prison has to be tightened. A few of the Boiling Rock’s guards have been transferred there,” Ming explained.

Understanding swept over me as I realised where Ming was going with this. There would be no point in telling me this if it didn’t pertain to any of us, which it did. It didn’t take me long to realise that Ming was referring to herself, and that she was one of the few who were being transferred.

“You’re leaving,” I stated.

Ming lowered her head, “As much as I don’t want to, I have been given direct orders from the Warden to leave with the other transfers. We’ll be guarding the Capital City Prison instead of the Boiling Rock. You have no idea how much I wish that I could stay and be here with you when you need me, but there is nothing that I can do. I have no choice but to follow orders.”

I shrugged, “Don’t go feeling sorry for me now. Orders are orders and you have to do them, regardless if you want to or not. And look on the bright side, at least now you won’t have to deal with me.”

“But I like _dealing_ with you as you put it. And I don’t want to leave you here to suffer at the hands of the other guards. I wish that there was something I could do for you and for both of us, but my hands are tied,” Ming admitted.

“Like I said, don’t feel sorry for me. I never wanted your pity or sympathy anyways. Go off and do your new job. Don’t make me stop you,” I insisted.

“That’s all you have to say?” Ming sputtered.

“What do you want me to do? Beg you to try and stay when I know that it’s not possible? There is nothing else for me to do or say to you. So just do what you’ve been told to do and _go_. Don’t be like me and disobey your orders. You’ve seen the result,” I said.

Ming sighed, “Abby, I wish that it didn’t have to be like this. But you are right in the sense that I have to follow orders. This will probably be the last time that we see each other and I just want to wish you good luck and remind you that you _can_ get through this. You just have to keep fighting.”

“Go,” I hissed, pointing at the door.

“If you insist,” Ming murmured before turning around and heading for the door. “Goodbye, Abby. I meant what I said.”

Once Ming had shut the door and I was sure that there was nobody around to bother me, I lowered my head in shame as the reality of Ming’s words sunk in. She was leaving. Not only the Boiling Rock, but me too. That came as no surprise for me, since everybody who ends up in my life always leaves me at some point. As much as I knew I couldn’t blame Ming for leaving, I hated her for just leaving me without a fight. If I really mattered that much to her, she would’ve tried harder to stay. But she didn’t.

That was even more of an indication for me to realise that there truly was nobody out there who genuinely cared about me. Not that I could blame the rest of the world for discarding me, since it was just so easy for them to do. Without me in the way, everything was so much easier for everyone else. And that was the realisation that hurt the most.


	53. Twilight Zone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little warning that things get heavy again in this chapter as it details pharmacological torture so read at your own risk. As always, italics are flashbacks/dreams and this chapter takes place before the Awakening.

Prison life without Ming was different. For starters, I didn’t have anyone to sneak me extra meals or to come visit me and treat me like an actual human being. Part of me almost missed having her around, since it was kind of refreshing to have somebody around who didn’t treat you like dirt. Sure, I had Suki and Chit Sang but it was nice having someone from Ming’s level to support you. Now that she was gone, I was just going to have to move on without her and learn to support myself on my own.

It was funny how before I never had any trouble with supporting myself, since I was always taught to be strong on my own and now I was suffering. But then again, this wasn’t exactly the sort of circumstances that I had been trained for, since I had been trained to survive on my own with nothing on my back. Whereas here I was locked up in a cell with no way out and needed to support myself to stay sane.

Life in prison had only become even more unbearable since the Avatar had fallen down at Ba Sing Se. The guards used that as their excuse to make my time here even more miserable than they already had. Anyone who was considered a traitor or an outsider received the worst treatment from the guards and even the other prisoners as well. It always amazed me that treason was treated with the most cruelty compared to other crimes like murder. If you were some mass murderer, you would be respected but if you were a traitor, all you got were scornful looks and anything but respect.

Sixty-one days was far too long to spend in a place like this. When putting it in perspective, I’d already spent over two months in this place. I don’t know what seemed longer, two months or sixty-one days. Either one wasn’t fun to think about and I longed for the day when I could finally be free again, but that was more like a dream than a hope because I knew that I was never getting out of here.

Even Suki was more depressed than usual with the recent news, and that’s saying something. Especially since Suki is always the one to telling me to not give up and to look on the bright side. It was almost pathetic to see her like that but then again, it was probably how I looked as well. But I didn’t care about how I looked because when you’ve been broken down so many times it’s hard to hold onto anything.

“Come on, you useless piece of shit, do something useful for a change!” Daizo, one of the guards, yelled at me.

Yelling seemed to be a hobby of theirs, since all they did was yell at me. Sometimes the shit that came out of their mouths hardly made sense at all. If you asked me, I think that they just like hearing their voices like that. While I did enjoy yelling, it wasn’t because I liked hearing my voice. I just liked yelling at people and telling them what to do. But I wasn’t in any position to do that anymore.

Getting back to work, I continued mopping away on the floor as far away as I could get from anyone else. Interacting with the other prisoners was never something that I liked doing, since I could hardly relate to any of them. Plus, it wasn’t like any of them liked me that much. When it came to my track record in getting along with people, I didn’t exactly have a very good one.

The first time I ever really bonded with somebody was with Xia, and she was a ten-year-old for Agni’s sake. Then again, I’d never really had any social skills before since I only ever manipulated people into doing what I wanted. Friendship was never on my agenda, since I didn’t need friends. But now, I found myself wishing that I could’ve had just one friend to support me. I’d hardly consider Suki a friend since we’re only bonding because of where we come from. There’s hardly a genuine connection between us.

Thinking of Xia reminded me of the short time that I spent with her and Dhatri. That was probably the first time that I ever really opened my eyes and started considering life outside of the Fire Nation. There was one particular moment with Xia that struck out to me out of the short time that I spent with her and her mother, and actually made me question where I thought I stood.

_It was the first night that I was spending with Dhatri and Xia. They had given me a small room which wasn’t anything special but it was good enough for me. Sleep had been eluding me so far, and I put that down to the sudden change of my environment. For the last few months I’d been sleeping on the ground and I’d almost grown accustomed to it only to suddenly be given a bed that I’d never slept in before._

_Sleeping in somebody else’s house was strange and uncomfortable, since I didn’t feel safe at all in here. Mostly because this was an entirely new environment for me and I barely had any idea who these people were. It astounded me that they were so willing to trust me and let me in when I was basically a stranger to them. If it were me, I wouldn’t let anybody stay in my place even if they just saved my kid._

_Speaking of kids, I heard the slightest sounds of little fit scampering around outside my door and my gut instantly told me that it was Xia. Wanting to see what this was about, I got out from my bed and opened the door which expectedly revealed Xia standing outside my door. The position I found her in was almost laughable since it looked like she’d had her face pressed against the door._

_“Spying on me, huh?” I observed._

_“Sorry,” Xia apologised sheepishly._

_I rolled my eyes, “It’s alright. Just don’t do it again. I’m not someone you want to spy on.”_

_“But you seem interesting though. I’ve never met anyone like you before,” Xia said._

_“Trust me when I say that’s a_ good _thing,” I muttered, since it was. I’d like to think that there was nobody else out there like me since the last thing that the world needed was another person like me._

_“You seem cool though,” Xia stated._

_“Thanks,” I murmured, unsure of how to respond to that. It wasn’t like I needed validation from a ten-year-old, since I already knew that I was pretty fucking awesome._

_“I’d want to be cool like you when I grow up,” Xia said._

_“You can start that by leaving me alone so I can sleep,” I suggested._

_“Well, I can’t really go to sleep,” Xia admitted._

_“You and me both,” I agreed._

_“Then we can stay up together! We just have to be quiet so mommy doesn’t hear us!” Xia exclaimed as she entered my room._

_Sighing, I shut the door and watched as Xia bounced excitedly around the room before jumping onto the bed causing it to bounce up and down. After that she just gave me an expectant look, like I was supposed to do something but I didn’t know what that was._

_“You want me to do a pillow fight or what?” I asked._

_Xia shrugged, “You can tell me stories! You should have some awesome ones from travelling!”_

_“I don’t have stories that you’d like to hear, trust me,” I replied since it was true. Someone like Xia certainly wouldn’t want to hear about my time attacking people and just being a person she wouldn’t want to be like._

_“You’re strange, you know that?” Xia observed._

_I raised my eyebrows, “Just like you’re annoying.”_

_“Do you always act like this?” Xia inquired._

_“Act like what?” I wondered._

_“You’re not letting me talk to you. Is this how you always act around others? Do you just not talk to people?” Xia clarified._

_“I do talk to people. I just don’t talk to every person that I meet because I have to trust people to freely speak my mind with them,” I admitted._

_“Why? You should be able to talk to whoever you want to talk to without worrying about anything,” Xia stated._

_I shook my head, “I’m afraid it doesn’t work like that, sweetheart. When you get older you’ll realise that you can’t always trust people with what you say, just like you can’t trust them with what they say.”_

_“That’s not a good way to look at things,” Xia argued._

_“But it’s the truth,” I snapped._

_“Who hurt you?” Xia asked._

_I raised my eyes, “What makes you ask that?”_

_“You say that like it’s happened to you before. Like somebody you trusted hurt you. Who did it?” Xia explained._

_“That is none of your business, you little twerp. Now please, leave the room so we both can rest in peace,” I snarled._

_Having no more patience for Xia’s behaviour, I quickly ushered her out of the room before keeping the door shut. Sighing, I brushed my hand through my hair as I walked back to the bed. There was nothing that irritated me more than being lectured by anyone, let alone a ten-year-old, so what I needed right now was some sleep to ease the frustration that I was feeling. Not just at Xia, but some at myself as well._

Looking back, I seemed to have a habit of being educated by children far younger than me. First there was Xia telling me what I didn’t need to hear and then there was Emiko who did it in a far more irritating way. Both girls seemed to have the same thing to say to me and I’d turned a blind eye because of my blind faith.

Back then, I had been so irritated by Xia because it felt as though she was implying that I was weak, which I firmly believed that I wasn’t. Only now do I realise my weakness, since I’ve had every last bit of strength forced out from me. Maybe if I hadn’t been so judgemental with my views I would’ve allowed people to open up to me and vice versa. But that old version of my only ever saw people as tools to get what I wanted which further confirmed the fact that I was a bitch.

Probably the hardest thing for me about this whole process was swallowing my pride and admitting that I wasn’t who I thought I was. My ego had always been my greatest enemy, since whenever that got a little bit of damage I got some as well. Right now my ego was probably at an all-time low, since the thoughts that I currently had about myself were hardly pleasant. There was nothing good about me that I could think of, since I had lost all of that the moment I got put in here.

“What did I tell you about putting in the work, you worthless bitch!” Daizo yelled at me.

In that moment I felt all eyes on me, like I was the centre of everybody’s attention. A few months ago that was something that I relished in but now, I’d much rather be anywhere than in this situation. It was bad enough getting beaten and ridiculed on my own but to have it happen in front of an audience was the worst thing that could happen.

“You’ve been slacking off lately, haven’t you?” Daizo asked as he got up in my face.

Giving him no response, I simply stood there as I felt his raging eyes burn into my head. To answer his question, I wasn’t slacking off. Their expectations of me are just way too hard to reach.

“We don’t tolerate laziness around here, you little bitch. I think it would be best if we teach you a lesson,” Daizo threatened.

Knowing that there was no way out of this for me, I simply let him yank me by my collar as he dragged me away from that public area. As he did so, I could feel everyone watching me as I just let Daizo do this which made it even more humiliating for me. But I knew that the humiliation was only the first part of it as another round of suffering was about to begin.

~*•°•*~

Just when I thought things couldn’t get any worse for me, they did. Daizo had ended up dragging me all across the prison before roughly shoving me into an enclosed room where I already had three people waiting me. From then on, they had taken turns practically beating the shit out of me and for what? It honestly made no sense to me whatsoever. If I had fought back or done something wrong I would’ve understood but I had honestly done nothing for this. Then again, nothing in this place ever seemed to make sense to me.

Once they’d had their fair share of beatings on me, they threw me to the side before proclaiming that they would soon be back. Panting and shaking, I laid sprawled out on the ground as I tried my best to recover for round two. I could hardly see anything from my right eye since they had bashed it in so hard. The pain was so excruciating that I even started coughing up blood. There was no way of knowing how I was going to make it through this.

When they returned, they were holding all sorts of buckets filled with who knows what. My eyes remained focused on them as they prepared themselves for whatever they were about to do to me. It was always the same three men who treated me like this. Part of me felt like they received some sick satisfaction from inflicting pain on others like this. Before I could even be truly enraged at that thought I remembered that I was no better, since I used to be just like that.

It seemed to take forever for them to prepare whatever it was they were going to do to me. Their bodies made it difficult for me to see whatever it was that they were doing, but I assumed that they were making something based on the sounds that were coming from their direction. Whatever it was, I knew that it was going to be used to inflict even more pain on me.

They finally put me out of my suspense and turned around so that I could see just what was about to happen to me. My eyes just about bulged out of my head when I saw what was in front of me. Because right in front of me was what looked like a whole set of tubes and chemicals that had been mixed together. At first I had no idea what they could possibly do with those before I realised that they were probably going to _force_ me to use whatever it was that they had created.

This was a whole new level of torture had hardly even been used in the world, mostly because it was something that had only started to develop in recent years. And it had only come from experimentation as the Fire Nation had tried to develop some sort of truth serum. Trust the Fire Nation to create a dangerous weapon by accident. It’s said to cause all kinds of side affects on whoever is forced to take it and I was just hoping that it wasn’t what I thought it was.

As they had been lately, my hopes were all but dashed as forced me to sit on the chair and strapped my arms to it. They then shoved a needle in both of my arms which hardly caused any pain considering all of the pain that I had felt before. The tubes were then stuck in that place and they started pumping so that drugs would force their way into my body.

At first, I felt nothing and started to wonder how long it would take before the affects started to show. When they did, I was immediately hit with a wav of nausea and disorientation as I felt my eyes roll into the back of my head. Everything that happened after that was hard to explain as it was like a surreal experience. The figures in the room soon became blurry before blacking out completely, only for me to be surrounded by complete mist as I tried to figure out just what was happening to me.

Then, another figure was pixilated in front of me before their image became clearer. My eyes widened as I recognised the figure as the Avatar, which only made this whole experience even more unexplainable. Carefully, I walked towards him while keeping my eyes open for anything that might unexpectedly jump out on me.

“You’re supposed to be dead,” I stated.

“I am?” the Avatar asked as he too glanced around. “I feel pretty alive.”

“This can’t be happening,” I murmured as I waved my hand through the air, only for it to go right through the Avatar.

“That tickled,” the boy laughed.

“No. You’re not real. This can’t be happening,” I repeated.

Taking a few steps back, I glanced around as the space around me began to fizzle out until it changed to an entirely new scenery. This time it was almost like I was in some battlefield as I surveyed the destruction around me. As much as I kept telling myself that this wasn’t real, it was hard for me to believe that since everything looked so real.

A chilling laugh caught my attention and shivers ran down my spine as I recognised who that laugh came from. Looking up, I saw Azula standing above me on a perch as she laughed at the top of her lungs. Her eyes then landed on me and a sinister smirk appeared on her face.

“Well, if it isn’t my _favourite_ enemy! How does it feel watching everything crash and burn around you?” Azula snarled before flipping over and launching a blast of fire at me, only for it to vanish into thin air.

“It’s not real. It’s not real. It’s not real,” I repeated to myself.

“Keep telling yourself that. But this is happening. In _your_ mind. So in a way, it is real!” Azula shouted.

“NO!” I yelled as I gripped my hands to my head while trying to make sense of everything that was happening.

Everything around me became blurry again and my mind struggled to make sense of everything that was happening. This was all becoming too much for me to handle. I didn’t understand why this was happening or how it was happening. Struggling to keep myself upright, I ended up collapsing onto the ground as I gasped for air with the bizarreness of this situation taking its toll on me.

When my eyes opened again I found myself in yet another entirely different setting. This whole situation reminded me of when I was having my psychotic breakdown except this time was completely different. Sure, I was having bizarre hallucinations but they had been forced upon me because of what they had shoved into my arms.

The sound of flapping wings caught my attention and I looked up to see Saori floating above me. This one was something that I struggled to decipher as Saori had always appeared before me at the most confusing times.

 **“The struggle is not over yet, my dear. It is only just the beginning,”** Saori stated.

“This is just too much. I don’t know if I can handle anymore,” I admitted.

 **“Do not give up, Abby. While you might not be able to see it there _is_ some strength left inside of you. You would not have been able to make it this far if you had none like you say,” **Saori advised me.

I shook my head, “No. I have nothing. I am nothing. You can’t convince me otherwise.”

 **“You must look deep inside of yourself. Remind yourself why you are here and what you are fighting for. Remember that, Abby,”** Saori insisted.

“There is nothing worth fighting for anymore. All of that was lost when the Avatar was killed. I can’t possibly do anything on my own. Not when I’m locked up here,” I said.

 **“My dear, you must keep holding on. There will come a time when everything will make sense to you and you will understand why you had to go through this to get there. You must keep fighting. Your time will come eventually,”** Saori persisted.

“This isn’t fair,” I muttered. “Haven’t I already been through enough? Why must I keep on suffering when there is nothing left for me?”

 **“Life isn’t fair, unfortunately. But you must remember that everything happens for a reason, just like this is happening to you for a reason,”** Saori said.

“You’re just like everyone else, thinking that a few sweet words would be enough to change how I feel,” I snapped.

 **“I suggest that you listen to those who care about you, as all they want to do is help you. Let them help you. You’ll thank them later and be able to repay them for it in a way you never thought possible,** ” Saori finished.

Before I could even say anything else, Saori floated up into the air before vanishing into nothing. After that, it felt like I was stuck since nothing was happening and as relieved as I was for that, I wasn’t so sure if that was a good thing or not. But then everything around me started to become blurry once again and my head felt like it had been hit one too many times.

As I struggled to keep myself together, my vision became clear once again except this time, I wasn’t surrounded by some foggy nonsense. As far as I was aware, I was back in the room that I had been taken to not too long ago. My mouth felt drowsy as my head hung to the side while they watched me from the far. I could see my hands shaking and my veins pulsing throughout my body.

But what I was feeling inside of me was an entirely different feeling. It was like something that I had relied on for so long had just been taken away from me. With every shake that went through my body the more desperate I felt for something, or anything to just relieve me of this feeling. That was when I realised that I was suffering from withdrawals after they’d obviously taken away what they’d been given me.

If I was being completely honest, this sort of torture was worse than any physical pain that they could inflict on me. Only because it was having such an affect on my body that physical torture never seemed to do. In that moment I would’ve much rather taken any sort of pain over what they’d done to me.

“Alright, we’ve given her enough of that. Why don’t we try getting it out of her system?” one of them suggested.

They all seemed to agree on that as I was soon released from my chair, not even feeling any sort of relief as all I felt was pain. Just to taunt me a little more, they left the door wide open for me so that I could make any escape opportunity. This was just a way of them to mock me, since I quite obviously couldn’t do anything given the position of my body.

Once they had their fun with me, they dragged me out of the room and through the prison halls. Nobody else seemed to be around and given the time span that must’ve gone by since they took me, it had to have been night time. That was good enough for me since the last thing that I wanted was for anybody else to see me like this.

Eventually, we reached some sort of tank that was positioned just outside the prison walls. Not even the feeling of the fresh air was enough to make me feel better from the pain that I felt. They then positioned a ladder on the side of the tank, even leaving me to the side as they did so. It wasn’t like I could escape anyways, considering the condition that my body was in.

“We’re gonna give you some time to cool off,” one of them smirked.

Dreading every moment of what was about to happen next, I simply let them grab hold of me and force me up the ladder on the side of the tank. My body was then forcibly dunked into the water, it’s affect hitting me just as quickly as the water did. Frantically, I gasped for air each time as my head was pulled from the water, only to be dunked back in once again. With each dunk and every bit of water that went down my lungs, I could feel myself beginning to break.

It got to the point where I could no longer feel anything that was happening. All I could do was cough up the water that was forced into my mouth and gag for air. But when I started to feel my lungs getting clogged up from the water, any breathing that I had left in me became weaker and weaker. Finally, my body started to give out from the torture and for a moment, I was relieved when I didn’t feel myself getting dunked into the tank once again.

But my relief was short lived as my vision became blurry and I struggled to keep myself together. Any voices that I heard were muffled before it felt like their figures retreated from my view. Lying against the cold metal of the tank that I had just been dunked in only moments ago, I could barely find any reason to keep my eyes open and fight for air as my world started to darken. Finally, I let myself give out with my last thoughts being maybe, just maybe, that I deserved this. And I wasn’t going to lie, but there was a part of me that hoped I wouldn’t wake up again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another tough chapter for Abby. That bit of torture that she received from the drugs they gave her was inspired by what comes from ‘the Twilight Zone’ which is an effect of hallucinations from certain drugs. The flashback with Xia would take place halfway through chapter 25 during Abby’s first night with them. Sorry for the lack of Suki and Chit Sang in this chapter, but they’ll be back again next chapter.


	54. Mindful Insight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As usual, I kind of procrastinated for this chapter before realising that I needed to pull my finger out and get something done for you guys. Only because I might be getting busy again with life so that might stop me from updating by the end of the month. I’ve also done some extra planning for this story because I can never satisfy myself and have now shortened it down to 75 chapters. Like always, flashbacks or dreams are in italics and this chapter takes place before the Awakening and I hope you guys enjoy it :).

Since the universe really does seem to have it out for me, I didn’t die like I hoped I would. It wasn’t long before I found myself slowly regaining consciousness, much to my dismay. Only when I did I found myself surrounded by a dark figure. Panic swept over me as I feared for who it was, hoping more than anything that it wasn’t one of the men who did this to me. Then again, I didn’t want anyone else seeing me in this weak position.

Whoever it was didn’t seem to be hurting me though, and it actually seemed like they were helping me as they lifted me up and started patting my back. At first, I had no idea what that was for until I started coughing up the water that had been forced down my lungs. Once I felt my lungs started to clear up my vision became stronger and I recognised Chit Sang standing in front of me. If it had to be anyone that found me, I was kind of glad that it was him.

“There, I’ve got you,” Chit Sang reassured me.

My body still felt messed up as my arms and legs shook violently as a result from the withdrawals that I’d sustained from the drugs that had been forced into my system. Everything around me was still blurry and messy as well, even when my vision became clearer so I assumed that it was another result from the drugs.

“My head,” I groaned as I came to.

“Yeah, that’s probably gonna hurt for a while,” Chit Sang murmured.

“W-what are you… doing?” I stammered, struggling to find my words.

“Helping you,” he replied.

“W-why?” I stuttered.

“Because unlike those assholes I wasn’t going to leave you here to die,” he stated.

“H-how did you f-find me?” I asked.

“I was heading back to my cell when I saw the men walking past. Then I spotted you from afar and thought you could use some help,” Chit Sang explained.

“Ugh, everything hurts,” I murmured.

“I don’t even want to ask what they did to you. Just let me help you get back to your cell before we both get into more trouble than we can handle,” he suggested.

Not wanting to suffer any more pain than I had today, I grudgingly allowed him to help me up to my feet, with my legs shaking even more once they were in the ground. As Chit Sang lead me away, I could feel my body growing even more weaker. It was almost like there was something missing from me, something that I desperately needed to feel better but it wasn’t in my grasp.

“Your friend was asking about you before,” Chit Sang stated.

“Friend?” I wonder. “I have no friends.”

Chit Sang chuckled, “That’s not how she sees it. You know, the Earth Kingdom girl your age with the short hair.”

“Oh, you mean Suki,” I realised.

“Yeah, her. Word spread out about your altercation with the guards before and she got worried when you didn’t show up for dinner,” Chit Sang said.

“She shouldn’t worry about me. I’m not worth her time. Just like I’m not worth yours. You should’ve just left me there to die,” I slurred, finding it difficult to keep my words together.

“Why? You don’t deserve to die,” he disagreed.

I shook my head, “Yes, I do. I’ve hardly done anything to be proud of. The world would be a better place without you.”

“If that was the case then you would’ve already died by now,” Chit Sang pointed out.

“This is my karma. I’m being punished for everything that I’ve done, since I deserve it. Only once the universe is satisfied that I’ve been punished enough will I be free of my misery. Obviously I’m not done yet which is why I’m still here,” I rambled.

“You’re still here because you still have a purpose. If there’s one thing that prison has taught me is that there is life for me somewhere. I just have to wait to get there,” he stated.

“Unfortunately for me, I don’t have that same confidence. Like you’ve said, you have a life waiting for you somewhere else. There is no life for me anywhere because nobody would want me. I have nobody. I deserve nobody,” I mumbled.

Chit Sang sighed, “You know, you’re the most stubborn person that I’ve ever met.”

“I get that a lot,” I said, since it was true. My stubbornness was one of my most definable characteristics. Sometimes it was useful, but most of the time it got in the way of things. Now would be one of those times.

“I hope you realise that this isn’t the be-all or the end-all of everything. You can still make a difference in here. You have the power to change more than what you realise,” Chit Sang stated.

“You didn’t strike me as the advising type,” I muttered.

“I just want to help you because you don’t deserve to feel like this,” he said.

“Yes, I do. Now just take me to my cell so I can rest in peace,” I grumbled.

That seemed to get my message across as Chit Sang didn’t make any comments after that and lead me to my cell in silence. Luckily, we didn’t come across any guards or anyone else since that was the last thing I wanted to deal with. When Chit Sang brought me to my cell, he helped me get inside in silence before shutting the door behind me and it locked itself shut once he did so. The doors had a funny way of working, since they’d automatically lock once they clicked shut and could only be opened from the outside.

With my body finally giving up on me, I pulled myself into the most comfortable position that I could and hoped for a decent nights sleep that wouldn’t give me nightmares. After everything that I’d been put through today, I could use a nice, long rest to save my body for when I’d need it most. Because knowing that there was still worse things that could happen to me, I wasn’t ready to breathe easily just yet.

~*•°•*~

Sleep eluded me again that night, like it had several times since I’d been put in here. There had been a few days where I had gone without sleep purely because I could not bring myself to get any. Maybe if I actually got a decent amount of sleep in this place I’d be able to make it through whatever they could throw at me. It’s funny how something as simple as sleep was so important to me now, since I never really bothered with it that much before. If anything my time in prison has done it’s made me appreciate the small things in life like I never did before.

This sentence had given me time to really think about my actions and everything that I’d taken for granted in my life. It made me open my eyes and realise just how selfish I really used to be and just how much I really deserved to be treated like this. In some aspects of my life, I’d consider myself worse than Azula which is definitely saying something. While Azula might be an arrogant, self-entitled and life ruining princess, she was never as arrogant or condescending as I was. And although some people might say that the two of us were more alike, I saw myself at the top of the spectrum.

Sometimes I even thought that I was worse than Daisuke. Sure, he had done horrible things that were in no way excusable. But he still had his reasons for doing what he did, even if they were pathetic and twisted. As for me, I was just doing exactly what he did only because he was doing them. I emotionally manipulated people because I saw Daisuke do it and even experienced it at his hands. I used my power the way he had showed me to just because that was what I had always known. Never once had I questioned if what I was doing was right or wrong, I just did it like it was natural.

Lying on the uncomfortable bedroll that was the only piece of luxury that I had in my room was never fun or enjoyable. It was hardly even a bedroll, since  it was basically just a piece of fabric inside to give you that illusion. Living like this was nothing that I was used to, since I had always been looked after. But prisoners like me don’t deserve to be looked after or treated like actual people.

The only ‘home’ that I had this to compare to was my life back at the Tatakai Stronghold. Even back then, it was never really like a home that I always heard about. Like the sort of home where there was actual love and people got along civilly, without being afraid of each other. That was the exact opposite of Tatakai Stronghold. Sure, it was where people lived. But it was only because their whole life was based there, just like mine was. Even though it was the only home I had ever known, I had never actually considered it to be that.

To me, the Tatakai Stronghold was a place for me to live, which was something I needed. My mind doesn’t remember that much about my life before Daisuke took me under his wing, but I know that I had been on my own for some time. The thought of being alone with nobody to look after me scared me back then, which was partly why I was so willing to just stay there and do as I was told. If I didn’t have the Tatakai Stronghold, then I had nothing and I needed something, anything, to keep me going.

It’s ironic how I broke and worked around any rules that I possibly could to get what I wanted. But when it came to Daisuke, I had always followed his direct order like the loyal and stupid soldier that I was. Truth be told, it was only because he intimidated me. He had intimidated me more than anybody ever had. He ruled with an iron fist and made it seem like that was how you were supposed to deal with people. That if you didn’t do what was expected of you that you deserved to be punished. Which was exactly what happened to me. Whenever I didn’t live up to his expectations, I was punished.

At first, those punishments involved the typical scolding that one would expect or confinement until it wasn’t necessary. But as I grew older, Daisuke got harsher with his punishments. And by harsher, I meant physical. It started small, but soon my body was covered in plenty of bruises and emotional turmoil left by him as a result of me not doing what he wanted me to.

Only once I realised that they wouldn’t stop until he was satisfied did I make sure that I did everything exactly the way he wanted it. But the physical punishments often left emotional pain behind, even now years after they were inflicted upon my body. If there was one moment that stood out to me out of all of them, it was easily the first time Daisuke had sought to physically punish me for my mistakes because that was when I truly started to fear Daisuke for what he would do to me.

_At six-years-old, I had been with Daisuke for a little over a year by then. He had first found me when I was five and said that he had seen so much potential in me that he had to train me to fulfil that potential. But in the first year, my results were a little less than desired. Because of my age, I wasn’t actually able to learn that much but my expectations were still high. Whenever I didn’t perform how I was supposed to, there was always some sort of punishment involved. I was either locked in my room for some time or I had something taken away from me._

_With each day that passed, I could see Daisuke getting even more stricter with me, like he would with any of his other students. What used to be small verbal insults was slowly becoming a lot more worse punishment. Initially, Daisuke would only scold me if I ever did something wrong. But lately, he started taking a more personal route with his verbal retribution._

_One day in particular comes to mind, when I was getting ready for my daily training session. Before every session, I was expected to do one hundred hot squats, one hundred fire fists and ten minutes of meditation. While I did do the meditation and some of my required exercises, I never did them to the full capacity that I was supposed to. Like I would only ever do half of what I was supposed to do, since I never understood why I had to do so many._

_“Are you ready for your training session?” Daisuke asked as he entered the training arena where I was warming up._

_“I guess so,” I grumbled. Back then training was never really something that I cared about because I just wanted to get to the point where I was the best without actually having to do the training exercises._

_“What was that?” Daisuke growled._

_I sighed, “Yes, Master Daisuke.”_

_“Better. Now, did you do the homework that I left you yesterday?” Daisuke asked._

_I shrugged, “I did like half of it.”_

_“What?” Daisuke snapped. “I specifically ordered you to do one hundred hot squats and fire fists as well as ten minutes of meditation before our training session today.”_

_“You gave them to me yesterday,” I argued._

_“Yes, and you were supposed to do them before today. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, would you care to tell me why you felt that it was necessary to evade your homework again?” Daisuke questioned._

_“Why do I have to constantly breathe and do stupid punches and squats? What is it supposed to do for me?” I asked._

_“Have you learned nothing from the time that you’ve spent with me?” Daisuke chastised me._

_“Not that I remember,” I mumbled._

_“Clearly you do not understand the key principles of firebending. The main source of firebending is the breath, which is then used by anger as a catalyst to produce a fire blast. Meditation helps you learn control of your breathing so you can control it while firebending. Hot squats help your body adjust to the strong movements of firebending while fire blasts allow you to progress with your bending as a whole,” Daisuke rambled._

_“That is all I’ve done for the last year. When are you going to show me some real firebending?” I asked._

_“As soon as you show me that your dedicated enough to learn the proper ways of bending and to respect me as your master. That is something you clearly lack since you do not have the respect to do your homework that I set you,” Daisuke proclaimed._

_“Why should I respect you when you don’t respect me?” I snapped, since it was true. At that point in time Daisuke always scowled at me whenever I was around. He didn’t treat me like he treated everyone else, which I knew wasn’t a good thing._

_Daisuke glared at me, “Respect is something that is earned, young lady. If you want me to respect someone as worthless and pathetic as you, then you have to prove to me that you are anything but that. Only once you prove that will I give you the treatment that you desire.”_

_Even though it had only really been two words, it was those two words that had affected me more than anything that had ever been said to me. Mainly because I had never actually been called that before, and I had no idea how I was supposed to feel. But I knew that I didn’t feel good about being called those words._

_“Why are you standing there like a useless piece of nothing? Get in your form and do the homework that I ordered you to do!” Daisuke yelled._

_When I didn’t respond, he hardened his glare at me and forcefully shoved me back a few feet. As if that wasn’t enough, he added a slap on my shoulder for good mix. Like he didn’t do with his words, Daisuke had never treated anyone else like he treated me. At least not that I could see. And just like with the words he said to me, I knew that it wasn’t a good thing either._

_Not wanting to receive anymore punishment for my lack of actions, I got into my position and started doing my one hundred hot squats. With every squat that I did, I tried my best to ignore Daisuke standing behind me but it was hard to do so when I could feel him glare at me. All I wanted to do was to please the man, but nothing I ever did seemed to be good enough. It made me wonder why he even bothered to put so much effort with me, since he never gave that much effort to anyone else. Unlike everything else he did, I wasn’t so sure what to make of that._

Thinking about my early days as Daisuke’s student wasn’t something that I enjoyed doing, mainly because most of those memories were hardly pleasant. For four years, Daisuke was nothing but cruel to me as I failed to meet up to his expectations. No matter how hard I tried, nothing was ever good enough for him. It wasn’t until I was nine when I really tried putting the effort in that Daisuke actually started to treat me as an equal. But it was that treatment that I received that lead me to having my messed up ideologies that I grew up believing.

Truthfully, it wasn’t until my conversation with Emiko where I really started to question what I had believed in. Because for someone as young as she was, Emiko certainly had a different viewpoint on topics like respect compared to what I thought. Even now, I could still remember what the girl had said about not needing other peoples approval to think that you were worthy. Only now did that statement ring truthfully to me since it wasn’t until Daisuke actually looked as me as if I was worthy to walk the same ground as he did I believe it as well.

Now, as I sat in my wretched prison cell, I felt anything but worthy. Any worthiness that I felt had been stripped away from me with every day that I spent in this wasteland. My ego was at an all-time low as well as my own self-worth, since I truly believed that I deserved to be treated like this. But I just had to hold on until the universe decided that my karma was up and then I could finally let go of this place with nothing to hold me back.

~*•°•*~

Sixty-seven days had never felt so long in my entire life. That was how long I had spent in this Agni-forsaken place. That was almost ten weeks of torture that I was forced to endure. As much as I tried to not think about how long I had spent in here, it was hard to not remember the amount of days that I had suffered. With every day that passed, the more tired I became and the more I hoped for it to all just be done and over with already. My body was exhausted from all of the pain that had been inflicted on it, and I wasn’t so sure how much longer I would be able to hang on for.

Since my drug-induced torture session, I could still feel the effects that the drugs were having on me. My withdrawal symptoms had slowly started to disappear, but it still felt as though I was missing something from my body. After spending some time in my cell to recover, I decided to show my face around the halls again. Even though they weren’t saying anything directly to my face, I could feel the other prisoners mocking me with just the looks on their faces.

Mocking was never something that I had dealt well with. In the past, I would never let anyone just stand by and mock my existence. But now, I couldn’t blame them for mocking me. How couldn’t I, when I was more pathetic than anyone could possibly be? I deserved this mockery. Just like I deserved every beating and every bad thing that happened to me.

When I entered the kitchen for my daily kitchen duties, I was quickly enveloped into a strong hug. At first, I panicked at the sudden contact as every time I was in close proximity with someone, they ended up hurting me. But I slowly relaxed when I realised that it was Suki’s embrace that I was in. Even then, it was still uncomfortable for me to deal with since I had never really been a fan of hugging.

“I was so worried! Chit Sang told me about what happened to you,” Suki said as I slowly pried her off me.

I paled, “W-what did he say?”

“He just said that something bad had happened to you and that you wouldn’t be in good shape,” Suki explained as she looked over me. Looking at you now, you’re in even worse shape than I thought you would be. You look like you haven’t slept in days.”

“Sleep hasn’t exactly been a friend of mine recently,” I mumbled.

“Then you shouldn’t be working like this. You should be resting,” Suki stated.

I shook my head, “I can’t do that. I can’t slack off and risk getting into even more trouble.”

Suki’s gaze softened, “Abby, I’m so sorry that you have to go through this pain and suffering. If I could take it from you, I would.”

“No. Don’t say that. I deserve everything that I get. But I don’t deserve your pity so please, don’t waste it on me. Give it to someone who actually deserves it,” I insisted.

“I’ve never met anyone so down on themselves,” Suki murmured sadly.

“Can you blame me? Would you honestly be able to remain strong after you’ve been used and abused like I have?” I asked.

“It would be hard, but I wouldn’t give up. I’d still have hope, just like you should,” Suki replied.

I rolled my eyes, “Right, because you actually have someone waiting for you on the outside. I on the other hand, have nobody.”

“You have me,” Suki tried smiling.

“But it’s not enough,” I grumbled.

Not wanting to waste any more time, I pushed past Suki and headed towards my designated station. Every prisoner who was on duty had their specific role. Mine was to clean up the mess from those who prepared the dinner for the guards. Some of the other prisoners usually snuck in a few bits of food for themselves but I never did that. I just did what I was supposed to do and moved on with it. Mostly because I didn’t want to risk getting caught doing something that I shouldn’t.

Because Suki had a different job than I did, we couldn’t really interact with each other at this time. That was actually a good thing for me, since there were definitely times when Suki could really get on my nerves. The girl just couldn’t seem to take the hint that her pity wasn’t needed or necessary. Pity had never been something that I desired from others before, and it certainly wasn’t something that I desired now considering my current situation. People just couldn’t understand that it was better to just leave me alone and forget that I existed.

There was a slight humming noise from beside me that distracted me from my own self-loathing thoughts. Turning to the source, I was surprised to find Rei, of all people, standing beside me. It was strange how I hadn’t noticed her until now, since she had supposedly been in here for a long time. What I found even weirder was how she was happily humming along to whatever she was humming to when we were doing chores like this.

“It’s fun, isn’t it?” Rei asked.

“What do you mean?” I questioned, since I didn’t know what she was referring to.

“This,” Rei answered as she gestured around us.

I shook my head, “You are one strange person, Rei.”

“That’s good then. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like being like everybody else. I like being myself, even if other people find that weird,” Rei stated.

“Good for you,” I mumbled.

“What about you?” Rei inquired.

Again, I was confused, “Huh?”

“How do you see yourself? Do you think you’re weird, like me?” Rei elaborated.

“Oh,” I sighed, unsure of how to answer that question.

In reality, there was a fairly simple answer to Rei’s question. I knew how I saw myself. I knew that I was worthless. But strangely enough, I had a hard time voicing that out loud. It was easier to say it in my own head than it was to say it.

“I think… That I’m…” I trailed off, unsure of how to say it.

“What?” Rei asked.

I sighed, “Worthless.”

“Wow. That wasn’t what I was expecting,” Rei stated.

I turned my head to her, “What were you expecting?”

Rei shrugged, “I dunno. To boast your awesomeness. Cause from what I’ve heard you’re pretty awesome.”

“No, I’m not. I’m anything but awesome. While I might’ve thought that at one stage, that is definitely not how I see myself now,” I replied.

“You really are a pessimist,” Rei observed.

“When you’ve had it said to your face so many times, you start to believe it. Now let’s just get back to work. We wouldn’t want to get in trouble,” I suggested.

That seemed to be enough to get Rei to shut up, for which I was grateful for. If there was one thing that I didn’t like people doing, it was them trying to get me to express myself. Only because I had nothing flattering to think about myself. One thing that I couldn’t understand though was why it was so hard for me to say what I truly felt about myself. I thought it plenty of times, yet I could never voice it out loud.

It certainly gave me something to think about, since I had never been one to struggle with voicing my true feelings about myself. Even before when I thought that I was all that, I had no problem saying it. So why now when I felt the exact opposite of it was it so hard for me to say it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An interesting chapter for Abby. Things are quickly speeding up now, and it won’t be long before we reach another turning point for the story. Originally, I had it that Abby had been with Daisuke since she was six-years-old, but when I was writing this chapter I decided to go back and change it so that it was when she was five.


	55. Nothing to Hold On To

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, this chapter was going to be split into two parts but after I changed part of the outline that I had planned I decided to squeeze them together for your guys’ sake and mine. There will be some parts of this chapter that aren’t in first person like it usually is, but that will come after my breaks and it shouldn’t be hard to tell which is which. This chapter takes place during the Awakening and the Headband.

With every day that passed in this wretched place, the more indifferent I felt about everything. It was hard to care about anything, since I didn’t know what I was supposed to care about. Everything was just becoming more and more messed up and with each day that passed, I wasn’t sure how much more I could take. Never before had I ever felt so _weak_ and _empty_ inside. It was almost too hard to think about who I was before, since I was a far cry from that arrogant and oblivious girl that I used to be.

Sometimes I found myself thinking about the Avatar. He had fallen in Ba Sing Se, meaning that any fragment of hope that I might’ve had was gone. The last thing that could’ve possibly stopped Fire Lord Ozai’s reign of terror was dead, and now he had a firm grip on the world that I didn’t even see him letting go of anytime soon. They didn’t even need Sozin’s Comet to win the war anymore, since they had practically won it with the victory at Ba Sing. The way I saw it, there wasn’t anything that could possibly make this any worse than it already was.

Thinking about the Avatar reminded me of Azula, and how it was her who had put me in this position. If it weren’t for her, I’d still have my freedom and be roaming around while causing as much trouble for the Fire Nation that I could. Word had spread around the prison that she had snuck into Ba Sing Se under the disguise of the Kyoshi Warriors, which had made Suki feel even more responsible for Ba Sing Se’s conquest as Azula never would’ve been able to get those outfits without her.

But surprisingly, Suki still had faith that her Loverboy was going to find her and bust her out. No matter how much I had told her to not bother with it, Suki had promised that she would try and convince him to let me join them. Joining the Avatar was never really something that I had considered, since I knew that there was no way they would be able to look past my past with them. Besides, it was pointless joining them when the Avatar was now dead so I was more than willing to just spend the rest of my life wasting away in here.

Speaking of here, I was currently doing my morning exercise which involved me smashing away at the rocks so that they would be broken into smaller pieces before wheel barrowing them away so that they could be taken to the coal mines. In a way, the smashing was somewhat therapeutic for me since it was the only way for me to express any of the anger that I was feeling towards myself and everything that was going on.

“Hey, scum. I’ve got something for you,” I heard someone call out to me.

Turning around, I saw Daizo heading towards me before he handed me an envelope and headed away. Rolling my eyes at the envelope, I tore it open to see what was inside this one, even though I already had a small hunch as to what was in its contents. For the past few days, I had been receiving these strange letters from an unknown source. The letters weren’t anything special, since they were basically the words that people had been saying to me the past two months written on paper. But I couldn’t help but think that there was something strange about these letters, since there was just something about the way they were written that bothered me.

It wasn’t unheard of people to receive letters at the Boiling Rock, since there was a communications tower where any contact to the prison was intercepted. Any letters for prisoners were obviously read before they were deemed worthy enough to read. And considering the contents of my letter, I could see why it was deemed worthy enough for me since it was basically the words on paper that had been spoken to me in the past two months.

Reading the letter, I wasn’t surprised at all with what was inside. All it did was just add another blow to my already low self-esteem. It was bad enough that I had people in here telling me how worthless I was, but having it said from people on the outside only made it even worse. Things just kept on getting worse for me, and it didn’t seem like there was going to be anything good to come from this experience. This experience had already robbed me of anything that I might’ve had left and now I was left with nothing, just like what I was.

Constantly being told how worthless and pathetic I was only added more to the feelings that I felt towards myself. In a way, it was ironic how I had gone from thinking so highly of myself to thinking the exact opposite. I really had thought that I was the greatest firebender to ever walk the planet and that there was nothing that could stand in my way, only to be proven painfully wrong. Some would say that I had overestimated my abilities and underestimated my opponents, when in actuality I was just a horrible person who couldn’t even think that there would be someone better than me.

As painful as this whole experience has been, it has been strangely humbling and it has taught me a lot of valuable life lessons. Whether or not I’ll actually live to apply them to my life is yet to be seen, but I do know that if I had known what I know now back then, things certainly would’ve turned out the way they did for me. It’s hard to say what I could’ve been doing with my life right now, but one thing for sure was that I certainly wouldn’t be wasting away in prison like a worthless piece of nothing.

~*•°•*~

Standing up above the Boiling Rock prison yard were three men, each surveying the area as they did their job in keeping an eye on the prisoners. Of course, their attention mainly rested on the Dragoness as it had since the moment she set foot in this prison. It was safe to say that she had been their top priority, as she posed the greatest threat to their livelihoods.

“Is she causing any trouble?” the Warden asked his men.

“No, she’s just keeping her head down and doing what she’s supposed to,” one of his men replied.

“Good, good,” the Warden murmured.

“When do we get another session with her?” the second man asked eagerly.

“Soon, Katashi, soon,” the Warden replied.

“But you told us that we were supposed to break her. Giving her this rest time is only going to give her the strength that we can’t afford her to have,” Katashi argued.

“While I see your points, we cannot push her too far. Yes, we have to break her but she is already broken from what I can see. We just have to make sure that we maintain her feelings of hopelessness without pushing her too far,” the Warden reasoned.

“Do you honestly believe that she could cause enough trouble for us?” the first man asked.

“Yes, I do. You know just as well as I do, Hachiro, that she is a very powerful fighter and she could have the power to destroy everything we’ve worked so hard to build in this place,” the Warden replied.

“She’s just one person, sir. And she’s hardly got any supporters on her side. We’ve done a good job at destroying what little reputation she might have that could be useful to her. Only the desperate would choose to associate themselves with her,” Hachiro said.

“Then explain to me how she has found something in that Earth Kingdom rat Princess Azula brought in and the gang murderer?” the Warden questioned.

“She doesn’t seem to care for them,” Katashi noted.

“Of course she doesn’t care for anyone,” the Warden scoffed. “What reasons would she have to care for anyone? Besides, I highly doubt that the gang leader and the rat truly care for her. They’re probably just giving her pity, not that she deserves it.

“She doesn’t deserve anything,” Hachiro snarled.

“Yes, she doesn’t. Which is why we must be very careful with what we do give her. We have to make sure that she continues to feel the way she does now. If there are any signs of her feelings changing, then we must act quickly in order to keep things the way they are now,” the Warden insisted.

“We’ll be sure to do that,” Katashi nodded.

“Now, we must continue to make sure that nobody finds out just how badly we are treating her because if word gets out about the way we’ve tortured her, it won’t just be me in trouble. It will be all of us,” the Warden threatened.

“Yes, sir. We are well and truly aware of the gravity of our situation,” Hachiro stated.

“Nobody except those who know will ever find out what we did to her,” Katashi added.

“Good. Now, go finish off the rest of your duties. I will let you both know when you’re required again,” the Warden said.

Nodding, the two men left the Warden to himself as he continued to stare down at the prison yard, maintaining his focus on one person in particular. Even though he had gone out of his way to make her life miserable, the Warden knew that he had to continue doing that without taking it too far, since they couldn’t risk giving the Dragoness the fire that she needed to ruin everything that they had worked for.

“You better watch yourself, Dragoness. If you think I’m going to hold back on you then you would be mistakenly wrong,” the Warden muttered.

Of all the promises that he had made, the promise he had made on making that girls life miserable was the one that he would be sure to see through to the end. For someone who was barely sixteen, she could potentially be a huge wrinkle in his plans and the Warden was going to make sure that she spent the rest of her life wasting away in this prison. Nothing was going to get her out of here, not on his watch.

~*•°•*~

In the days that passed, I noticed that the guards seemed to be paying an awful lot of attention towards me. It almost made me cautious to do anything that would make them suspicious, since they seemed to be watching me like hawks. While they had always paid special attention to me from the beginning, they seemed to be almost too cautious of me nowadays. It wasn’t like I had done anything wrong, so it made me wonder why the sudden interest in my day to day prison activities.

Unless the guards were getting increasingly bored with their jobs, they were most likely keeping tabs on me. That gave me even more reason to behave like I was expected to since I didn’t want to risk them giving bad feedback to the Warden and suffering the repercussions. Bad behaviour was something that they took very seriously with everyone, but mainly me. Most of the other prisoners usually just got to spend some time in the cooler if they stood out of line. Me, on the other hand, received all kinds of verbal and physical abuse that one could never imagine. If I could take the cooler over that pain and suffering, I’d take it in a heartbeat.

Other than the beatings that I was forced to endure, there really wasn’t that much that went on in this prison. It was basically the same, boring routine that I had to go through every day. I never would’ve thought that being in prison would be so boring, since everybody always made prison seem like such a horrible place. Sure, it wasn’t the best place that I had ever been but above everything, it was just boring. Maybe they just said that to scare people away from breaking the law, since most people wouldn’t want to do that if it meant wasting away in prison.

But even after everything that I had experienced at the hands of the prison guards, I wouldn’t change anything about what I did to end up here. Granted, I might’ve done a few things differently to avoid being thrown into prison, but I wouldn’t have changed my decision if it meant living a life that was destroying me on the inside. The inner turmoil that had come from being like I was certainly wasn’t something that I’d like to experience again, since it only made me more miserable than I already was. It had taken a huge wake up call for me to realise just how messed up everything was, but it probably had to be a wake up call like that to make me see the error in my ways.

If only I hadn’t been such a misguided and oblivious bitch, things could’ve turned out differently. As much as I say there’s no point in dwelling on something that you can’t change, I can’t help but dwell on my past mistakes. Compared to most people, the amount of mistakes that I’ve made are endless. It’s almost painful to look back on the numerous mistakes tied to my name that are more than the amount of fingers that I have on both my hands. Sometimes I found myself tallying up each and every mistake that I’ve made, and so far it’s at a pretty long list.

Since karma has practically become a part of my life, I’m convinced that only once I’ve suffered enough to make up for my wrongdoings will I finally be able to let go. Until then, I’ll just have to hold on and remind myself that this is what I need to go through to be free. That is why I’m currently cleaning the prison bathrooms, no matter how disgusting they might be.

“Ugh, that smell is revolting,” Suki recoiled as she stepped out from the bathroom, waving her hand in her face.

“They probably make it smell like this on purpose so that we have something to do,” I grumbled.

“Honestly, I never would’ve thought that a Fire Nation prison would be so… disgusting,” Suki stated.

“We certainly know how to treat our own people,” I said.

Suki glanced at me, “You don’t seem to bothered by the stench.”

I shrugged, “I’ve grown used to it. You should too, if you’re ever going to be able to finish your duties.”

“I don’t want to finish my duties. This place stinks. Literally and figuratively,” Suki complained.

“Hey, when you think about it, this is only going to make you stronger. If you can handle the Fire Nations toughest prison, you can handle anything,” I reasoned.

“Maybe you should take your own advice,” Suki remarked.

“There is no advice for me to take. This is my karma; my justice and I’m going to take it with humility. Once I’ve suffered enough, I’ll finally be free of my sins,” I replied.

Suki narrowed her eyes, “That’s a strange way to look at it.”

“For me, that’s the only way I can look at it. That’s the only light at the end of the tunnel that I can see. Until I get there, I’m just going to have to put up with all of this shit even if I don’t want to,” I insisted.

“You know, even though you might’ve been a horrible person back then, I’d much rather deal with you when you were an insane crazy firebender chick. At least then you wouldn’t be so… depressing,” Suki said.

“Trust me when I say you would _not_ want to deal with me when I was an ‘insane crazy firebender chick’ as you put it,” I stated.

Suki paused for a moment before hesitantly asking, “What was it like? To be, you know…. Insane?”

“Insane,” I deadpanned.

Suki rolled her eyes, “You know what I mean. What did it feel like? Did you even know you were insane?”

“Truthfully, I knew something was up with my head the moment I started hearing voices inside my own head. Things only got worse when I started hallucinating and struggled to find the difference between reality and my own mind going against me,” I answered.

“I can’t imagine what that must’ve felt like. You must’ve rattled your brain for ages trying to figure out what was going on,” Suki said.

I nodded, “I did. As strange as it is, I didn’t even feel like I was going insane. Everything just felt natural to me, like that was how I was supposed to act. Looking back, I was only adding more to the denial that was slowly building up inside of me.”

“Well, I’m glad that you didn’t completely lose your mind,” Suki smiled.

I sighed, “Me too.”

With nothing else to say, the two of us continued on with our work as we forced ourselves to clean up this disgusting mess. Each movement that I made with my mop only added more strain to my already weakened body, only because I wasn’t in the physical form that I used to be in. That’s what had come from my months of starvation and not being able to take care of my body the way I used to. Every time I took a step these days took so much effort and there were so many times where I just felt like letting my body collapse. But like always, I just got on with what I had to do since it was what I deserved.

~*•°•*~

Sitting in the cave that they were currently hiding in was Team Avatar. Since leaving Ba Sing Se, they had decided to keep themselves hidden from the outside world so that everyone continued to believe that Aang was dead. While it had taken a lot of convincing, Aang had eventually came around to the idea and agreed to keep his identity hidden until the Day of Black Sun. Now, they were getting accustomed to Fire Nation life by hiding in plain sight while preparing themselves for the invasion on the same country that they were hiding in.

It was safe to say that a lot had changed in the Fire Nation compared to what it was like a hundred years ago when Aang used to visit there. For starters, there weren’t dozens of dragons flying freely as they should since they had all been wiped out following the genocide of his people. Another notable thing was how disciplined everything was. After sneaking into a Fire Nation school and enrolling himself there, Aang was surprised by how accepting these people were of punishment.

One thing that stuck out to Aang the most was how quickly people turned on someone when they stood out of line, like what happened with the Dragoness. At first, Aang had a mind blank at the alias, even though he felt like he had heard it before. But when he had heard the name of the person who that title belonged to, everything made sense for Aang. Because the Dragoness was Abby, the same firebender who had tried to attack and kill he and his friends on numerous occasions. When she had suddenly stopped chasing them, Aang hadn’t thought much on it since he was just glad to have one less firebender on his tail. But when he heard what had happened to her, Aang understood why she had suddenly dropped off the face of the earth.

“Aang, is everything alright?” his friend, Katara, asked him while he was deep in his thoughts.

“Oh, yeah. Just thinking about something I heard at school,” Aang replied.

“I’m still thinking that this is a bad idea,” his other friend, Sokka, said. “You’ve already gotten yourself in trouble with the principal and made me pretend to be married to my _sister_!”

Their other friend, Toph, snorted from where she was sitting, “I think you guys would make a great couple.”

“Like I said, Sokka. Every minute I’m in that classroom I’m learning more and more about the Fire Nation. Besides, you should be looking forward to the dance party that we’re having tonight!” Aang exclaimed.

Sokka shook his head, “It just feels so… silly.”

“What else have you learned?” Katara inquired.

“Well, there is this one thing that you guys should know…” Aang trailed off, not sure how to bring up one of their old foes knowing how his friends felt about her.

“We’re listening,” Sokka probed.

“You guys remember the Dragoness, right?” Aang asked.

“Who?” Sokka wondered before he remembered the name. “Oh, yeah. That crazy firebender chick who tried to kill us.”

“Which one?” Toph drawled, knowing that there were numerous crazy firebender chicks out there.

“You know, the girl who tried to _kill_ Aang while we were in that abandoned Earth Kingdom town?” Katara stated, sending shivers down Aang’s spine at the memory.

“Oh, her. Yeah, she was crazy,” Toph remembered.

“Apparently she won’t be a problem for us anymore,” Aang stated.

Sokka raised his eyes, “What do you mean?”

“Well, I was asking people to come to the dance party tonight and there were a few people that were hesitant about it so I had to try and convince them to come. When they were hesitant, they said that they didn’t want to end up like the Dragoness,” Aang explained.

Katara scoffed, “Who would want to end up like her anyways?”

“Now they have even more reason not to end up like her because apparently, she’s turned traitor now,” Aang said.

Sokka spit out the drink he had in his mouth at the news, “You’re kidding, right?”

“I’m not. At first I had no idea what they were talking about, but when they said her name I knew exactly who it was. The reason why she had stopped chasing us was because she had turned against the Fire Nation. Rumour has it, she turned against her superior and was declared an enemy to the Fire Nation. She’s now a national disgrace,” Aang replied.

“No way,” Katara shook her head in disbelief. “She only probably turned against him because she got power hungry and wanted all of the glory for herself.”

“That’s just what I’ve heard. Nobody knows where she really is now. There’s rumours that she’s been locked up in a Fire Nation prison somewhere and some people even believe that she’s dead,” Aang stated.

“Well I hope she is,” Katara snarled.

“Katara…” Aang trailed off, having never liked Katara’s venomous side.

Katara angrily stood up, “The world would be better off without her! She’s a threat to everyone. If they killed her, then so much the better for us.”

“You’re just bitter that she beat you in your duel,” Toph remarked.

“That’s _not_ true. She didn’t beat me. She just got the better of me,” Katara defended herself.

“So in other words, she beat you,” Toph smirked, knowing how much that would rile Katara up.

“And almost killed us,” Sokka added.

“Alright, let’s not get into an argument over this. The important thing is that she’s no longer a problem for us. If we ever have to deal with her again, then we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” Aang reasoned.

“Fair enough,” Sokka agreed.

“If we do have to deal with her again, I’m more than willing to use brute force against her,” Katara stated.

“If there’s gonna be a fight I want in too,” Toph piped up. “I never even got a chance to see what she was really made of.”

“Be glad that you didn’t,” Katara muttered.

Knowing that the Dragoness was now no longer a problem for them, Team Avatar could rest easily without the worry of one of their most notorious enemies. But although they wouldn’t voice their thoughts out loud, they couldn’t help but wonder if whenever they saw her again would she be an enemy, or an unlikely ally? Either way, they would just have to deal with her when the time came.

~*•°•*~

Sitting in my cell, I kept on going over the letters that I had been receiving the past few weeks. There was just something about the way that they were written that caught my attention, and I intended to find out what it was. I had to be very careful about what I did with these letters, since people weren’t allowed to keep any mail that they received. So I had hidden them in my pillow case and had them all spread out across the floor now as I analysed each and every sentence.

In a way, this was good for me since it kept my mind occupied and gave me something to do since prison life was very boring. The more I examined the letters, the more strange I found them becoming. They were worded very confusingly, which made it difficult to comprehend what they were _actually_ trying to tell me. At one point, I just thought that whoever was writing these letters was doing this on purpose to make me lose my mind again. Just when I was about to give up and burn these letters to a crisp, I realised what they were trying to tell me.

It was hardly anything noticeable, but when I looked at the letters next to each other I realised that it was right in front of me. The first word of the first letter started with every, then the second letter started with fourth and the third letter started with word. When I put them together. I realised that it was telling me to read every fourth word. Once I realised that, I knew that I had to get this sorted out so that it would finally make sense to me.

Thinking quickly, I dug one of my nails into my arm until it started to bleed, and used my blood to underline every fourth word. Since there were about seven letters, it turned out to be a very long passage that was speaking to me. When I had underlined every word, I stood back and read every word to myself.

**_Sorry for confusing you with our strange words. But we had to do this carefully so that nobody would realise the true meaning of our letters. We knew that you would rattle your brain to find out what we trying to tell you, and we hope that our help didn’t go unnoticed._ **

**_We know that these times for you must be difficult, having lost everything you ever had and being tortured the way you have. It is the guard who left you that told us of your location, since she is affiliated with our society. Our society is behind you every step of the way and we are one of the few supporters that you have._ **

**_When your time comes and you are able to break free from your prison, we will be waiting for you. We cannot say our name because it is too risky, but just know that our paths have crossed before and you will know where to find us. Just wait for the darkest day to come and freedom will soon await you._ **

**_Until then,_ **

**_Your supporters._ **

Leaning back in surprise, I let out a sigh as I reread the underlined words on those letters. Truthfully, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the true message off these letters but the words I found myself reading still surprised me. Just the fact that there were actually people out there who supported me was enough of a surprise. Only because the guards had gone out of their way to make it known that I was a national disgrace.

There were still a few parts of the final letter that confused me, but I figured that I’d put my brain through enough strain for one night. As much as I’d like to say that those words had meant nothing to me, I could feel that something inside of me had changed even though I couldn’t quite explain it. But I tried to push away whatever the feeling was, since I knew nothing good could come from me feeling that way.

Putting myself to bed, I couldn’t help but ponder the words in the letter I had written for myself. While I didn’t want to believe it to be true, it had certainly given me something to think about. So instead of burning the letters like my first instinct had been, I simply hid them back under my pillow case unsure of what I’d be doing with them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There’s that chapter done and dusted. It didn’t turn out how I had originally planned it, but I like this chapter better than the original one because that one didn’t have the bit with Team Avatar in it. In this universe, they would’ve had to have found out about Abby eventually and I thought that now would be a good time to add it in. The bit with the letter was also something that I just added in, and I was originally going to write one of them before I realised that it would take too much work and just decided to put the last one in. As always, leave me your thoughts and theories in the reviews and I’ll get back to you guys next chapter.


	56. Everything Happens for a Reason

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At fifty-six chapters, I’ve come so far with this story and it’s amazing to think that I’ve actually squeezed out over fifty chapters and still have another twenty to go. Similar to the last chapter, this one didn’t turn out how I had originally planned it but I kind of liked this idea better anyways since it was based on an episode of another TV show. This chapter takes place during the Painted Lady and Sokka’s Master.

Seventy-five torturous days had passed with me rotting away in a rusty old prison cell. You’d think that I would’ve gotten used to this by now, but I hadn’t. Nothing would ever make me get used to this wretched place. My mind would always wonder to the freedom that I once had and had longed for so much. While I might have resigned myself to my fate, that didn’t mean that it was something that I had grown used to.

My days of training and competing in firebending tournaments were long behind me, since it had been over two months since my last duel. If I was being completely honest, I had almost forgotten what it felt like to firebend and that scared me. The urge to firebend was something that was still inside of me, but it was something that I had to keep there since I couldn’t risk using my bending and getting in trouble. Instead, I kept on reminding myself on the true essence of firebending and that it wasn’t meant to hurt me like it had.

The only place where I ever felt truly safe was in my dreams, even if they were induced upon me. They were the only place where I knew nothing could happen to me and that I could be in the place where I always wanted to be. Not even my cell protected me from the torture that I received since they could come in at any unannounced time to do whatever they wanted to me. No longer was I protected by the laws of the Fire Nation, since it was those laws that allowed them to make my life miserable.

Despite the overall horribleness of our situation, Suki still seemed to remain in good spirits which continued to astound me. No matter what I or anyone else said, she remained convinced that her Loverboy was one day going to come in here and break her out. As annoying as her insistence on it was, I had to admire her for not being like me and resigning to her fate even though it was obvious that we would be condemned to this place for the rest of our lives.

“What’s the first thing you’d do when we get out of here?” Suki asked as we sat around the cafeteria.

“You say that like it’s going to happen,” I muttered.

“Because it is. When the time is right, Sokka will come and get me out of here. And whether he likes it or not, I’ll be dragging you with us as well,” Suki said.

“He won’t like it,” I stated.

Suki narrowed her eyes, “I don’t care. If I’m getting out of here, I’ll be bringing you with me. We both don’t deserve to be locked up in here for doing what’s right.”

“So what are you gonna do then, just tag along with him and the Avatar?” I asked, the reference of the Avatar just falling off my tongue before I even realised it.

“Aang is dead. Prince Zuko killed him,” Suki snarled.

“He could’ve lived,” I shrugged.

“How?” Suki asked hopelessly.

“That waterbender has special healing powers, doesn’t she? For all we know, she could’ve worked her magic on him and they could be hiding in plain sight,” I replied.

Suki’s eyes widened, “I completely forgot.”

“Forgot what?” I wondered.

“Katara, the last time I saw them, told me that she has this spirit water from the North Pole. She told me that it has special properties and that she was saving it for something important. Aang being killed seems pretty important,” Suki whispered, glancing around to make sure that she wasn’t heard.

“Yeah, especially since the kid is in love with her,” I snorted.

“What kid?” Suki asked.

“The Avatar,” I said as if it was obvious, which it was. “It couldn’t be more obvious that he loves her.”

“How would you know that? Every interaction you had with them was _you_ trying to kill them,” Suki argued.

“Good point,” I agreed before getting into my argument. “But I’m good at reading people, Suki. I know when somebody loves someone and when somebody hates someone. That boy clearly loves that girl and would do anything for her.”

“Well, I guess Aang seemed to care about her on a deeper level compared to the way he cared about the others. But I can only hope that Katara cared enough to use her spirit water to hopefully save his life,” Suki said.

“I highly doubt that she would just let him die, especially since he’s the worlds last hope for peace. And although my observations can’t give me a delimitative answer on her feelings for him, I know that she does care for him,” I insisted.

“Still, it gives us something to hope on,” Suki murmured, giving me a nudge.

“If you look at it that way,” I agreed.

With this new information in mind, I for once found myself hoping that the Avatar was actually, in fact, alive instead of dead like I had always longed for. It’s ironic, just how my life has been so far, that the Avatar of all people is the one person who could possibly save me from this rat hole. Although I still firmly believed that I had given them no reasons to give me a second chance if that was the case, since even right now I’m still not sure if I can trust myself to make the right decisions.

Making the right decisions was always something that seemed to hinder me. Or making the _wrong_ decisions I should say, since that was what I had always done. Even after making the decision to betray the Fire Nation, I’m still not sure if it was the right decision for my longevity in general since there was only so long I could spend wasting away in prison. My decisions had always come back to haunt me one way or another, which is why I’ve found myself where I am now, wasting away in prison for what looked like the rest of my life.

~*•°•*~

In a few nights that followed, I seemed to get the best nights sleep that I’d had in ages, which was strange enough since for the past two months I had been plagued by nothing but troublesome nights. Most of the time, my dreams were what kept me from sleeping as I was haunted by nightmares. Only this night felt different since it was like I was hardly dreaming at all. It was strange, since I had complete awareness of my surroundings which was unusual for my dreams since they always loved to play tricks on me.

Part of me was expecting something horrible to jump out of nowhere and for this to turn on into a full-on nightmare, yet that never happened. All that did happen was nothing. Just me, standing in the middle of what seemed to be nowhere as I was surrounded by this misty fog. This was unlike any dream that I had had before, purely because it was the first dream that I’d had like this. Suddenly, I felt the misty fog overwhelmed me as it blew up in my face like a mini tornado. When it dispersed, I cleared my vision and was slightly surprised to see Saori floating above me.

 **“Hello, Abby. It has been some time since we last spoke,”** she stated.

“What is this? Is this some kind of dream?” I asked.

 **“Technically, yes. Your physical form is unconscious, only this isn’t like an ordinary dream as you have complete awareness of your surroundings which is not necessarily something that you have in your typical dreams,”** Saori explained.

“So why come to see me like this? Why not come visit me in my cell when I’m awake?” I queried.

 **“Because what I am about to show you is something that you wouldn’t be able to experience in a state of consciousness. It is best that you experience this in a state like this, where everything makes sense to you,”** Saori replied.

“So are you going to show me what it is you’re about to show me?” I wondered.

Saori nodded, **“That is the whole point of this visit. After observing you and your interactions, I have come to realise that you will never be able to be at peace with everything that’s happened unless you have physical proof that this is what was meant to be. So, to put it simply, I am going to show you just how things may have turned out if you had done certain things differently, specifically the things that you berate yourself over every day.”**

“So basically, you’re going to show me some kind of alternate reality where I actually did what I believe I should’ve done at that point in time but was too stupid to do it?” I clarified.

 **“Precisely,”** Saori affirmed.

I shrugged, “Alright. Let’s get this done and over with.”

 **“In hindsight, there were many decisions that you made that if made differently could have significantly altered the course of your future. But lets start off with the one that I’m sure you’ve always wondered about,”** Saori stated.

A mass of fog suddenly erupted around us, clouding my vision entirely before it disappeared. When it did, I immediately recognised us standing in one of the many halls at the Tatakai Stronghold. Almost instantly, I reacted to defend myself before reminding myself that this was just a dream and an alternate reality and that there was nothing that could harm me here.

At first, I had no idea what was going on. But my attention was soon gripped as I spotted Daisuke walking down the hallway. Shivers instantly went down my spine at his recognition, and that was probably an effect that he would always leave on me. He seemed to be walking on his own free will as he burst through a nearby door. Saori and I suddenly transported from where we were observing to into the room with Daisuke and a much younger girl, who I recognised as me. In this moment I couldn’t have been any older than twelve or thirteen.

“Where have you been? I’ve been waiting for you for training for almost half an hour!” Daisuke roared with fury.

Alternate me glanced at Daisuke, “I didn’t feel like training.”

“What? You will train whether you want to or not! I did not bring you here just so you could sit on your arse and do nothing!” Daisuke yelled.

“I don’t want to train with firebending. I want to keep practising with my swords,” alternate me stated.

“You have finished your training with Master Piando. Now you have no use for that rubbish so you must continue to refine your bending skills,” Daisuke said.

“I don’t care about firebending. Just like I don’t care about this stupid war anymore,” alternate me snapped, which even surprised me with how blunt I was being.

“What is the meaning of this behaviour?” Daisuke demanded.

“I want to go train with Piando forever. He has treated me far better in a few summers than you have in a few years!” alternate me exclaimed.

“Oh, so this is because of _Piando._ I knew that letting you train with that pathetic excuse of a non-bender was a terrible idea yet I foolishly let you talk me into it anyways,” Daisuke growled.

“Piando is not pathetic! He has proven that by being the greatest swordmaster in Fire Nation history without even being a bender!” alternate me insisted.

“Only because he had nothing else to give! When people don’t have anything worthy to show to others, they always scramble to find something to make them feel better. What can non-bending do that bending can’t? The answer is simple: nothing,” Daisuke rambled.

“That’s not true. Master Piando is a great man. He has taught me more than I ever thought I could’ve known or thought I even needed to know. He has helped me open my eyes and see things in a new light. I don’t want to be a master firebender. I want to be a master swordsman,” alternate me stood my ground, which I had to admit was impressive.

Daisuke, however, did not see that as impressive, “You will regret the day you _dared_ to defy me, young lady. Clearly I have given you too much freedom. Well, you can forget about having that freedom anymore.”

That seemed to mark the end of that vision as a cloud of mist appeared from the floor and what was my surroundings turned into nothing. My reaction to that vision was confusion, since I didn’t understand how I could’ve made a decision like that at that age without the worldly experience that I had from my travels which ultimately helped me make the decision that I did.

 **“So, what are your thoughts?”** Saori asked.

“I’m confused,” I admitted. “How could Piando have lead to me making that decision then instead of later down the line?”

 **“Because that was the first time that you truly had your ideals tested under Master Piando’s teaching. Up until that point, Daisuke had lead you to believe that all non-benders were talentless imbeciles but training with Piando made you realise that perhaps non-benders were just as powerful as benders,”** Saori explained.

Okay, so maybe Saori had a point with that one. Truthfully, I had been fascinated by Piando’s skill when I learned to appreciate it which was something that I didn’t do at first. And that was only because Daisuke had lead me to believe that non-benders couldn’t accomplish anything. Yet there was a direct proof of that not being the case with Piando, who is still to this day renowned as the greatest swordmaster in Fire Nation history.

But then I wondered what could’ve ended up happening to me in that scenario, with me standing up to Daisuke long before I even thought I could. In that case, Daisuke had threatened to take away my freedom, which was something that he most likely would’ve seen through.

“What happens to me then?” I asked hesitantly.

 **“Let me show you,”** Saori stated as another fog of mist appeared before dispersing.

This time, we seemed to be standing near the entrance at the Tatakai Stronghold. Then I noticed three figures exiting the main entrance, with me being one of them. It was easier to point me out, since at that stage I pretty much looked exactly like I did today. Beside me was Kenji and Liling, who both seemed to be trying to talk me out of doing something.

“Abby, please don’t do this,” Liling pleaded.

“I have to. It’s my duty,” alternate me stated, and I couldn’t help but notice the darkness that clouded my eyes. There was no emotion in my words or on my face that seemed to be adorned with all kinds of physical wounds.

“You’ll get killed,” Kenji added.

“Death comes to all of us eventually. It is inevitable,” alternate me insisted.

“Oh, Abby. This shouldn’t have happened. You did not deserve this fate,” Liling sobbed.

“Yes, I do. It’s what I deserved for disobeying direct orders. This has been coming a long time. Now, I am going to accept my fate like I should have done instead of acting so foolishly,” alternate me proclaimed.

“Indeed, you should have,” Daisuke added as he approached them. “It is a shame that it came to this, Abby. You had so much potential that you wasted for nothing. All it brought you was an early death. One that you cannot escape.”

“I understand. I have since the beginning,” alternate me said.

“Very well. Farewell, then,” Daisuke bid me farewell before alternate me left Kenji and Liling, who watched with sadness as I left the Tatakai Stronghold for what I knew would be the last time.

 **“After you disrespected Daisuke like that, he took away every bit of freedom that you had. He made it impossible for you to make your own choices, confining you to your room and the training grounds as your only escape. In your spare time, you were subjected to countless abuse for him as retribution for disobeying his orders. It never got better. It only got worse until he decided that he could no longer keep you around,”** Saori explained.

“So, he sent me to my death?” I summarised.

 **“Unfortunately. Since you were legally allowed to fight in the war, he enlisted you the moment you turned sixteen. Within days you were shipped off to the Earth Kingdom, where you died for doing the right thing,”** Saori finished.

“What I don’t get now is why he didn’t just let me die like he would’ve in that scenario,” I admitted.

 **“They did not allow you to die because you were the perfect message. The perfect message to those who did not agree with the Fire Nations belief that this was what happened to you when you broke the rules. At the same time, Daisuke wants you to suffer for as long as you can. He doesn’t want you to die. He just wants you to suffer,”** Saori revealed.

“And here I thought the guy didn’t care,” I muttered bitterly.

 **“Moving on now. Let’s see how things would have turned out had you taken a different route entirely,”** Saori said.

With a clap of her hands, the two of us teleported back inside of the Tatakai Stronghold. Only this time, I knew that it was a different scenario than the one I just witnessed. It made me wonder what Saori had said about me taking a different route entirely, but I knew that I was about to find out what when I spotted Daisuke walking down the hall.

As much as I wanted to pounce on him and strangle him for doing this to me, I knew that it would do me no good since this was a dreamworld where I couldn’t interact with them. But I could have that in another dream if I was lucky. My attention remained on Daisuke as he knocked on the door of a nearby room and I waited to see what would happen next. To my surprise, it was me who opened the door. Or alternate reality me, I should say.

“General Daisuke, you have returned!” alternate me exclaimed.

Daisuke nodded, “Yes, I have. And I thought that it would be best to come and congratulate you in person for the success in the launch of the War Zeppelin.”

“So, I take it that it went well?” alternate me asked.

“Indeed it did,” Daisuke replied with a rare smile. “Everything went just according to plan. Now we are going to wait for the right moment to reveal them to the world so for now, their success will stay under wraps.”

“Of course. I completely understand,” alternate me said.

“From what I have heard, things haven’t exactly been running smoothly around here in my absence,” Daisuke stated.

Alternate me grimaced, “Yes, that is true. There was an incident with Kyou that I have since resolved. Running this place proved to be a lot harder than I imagined, but once I got my head on straight I was able to run it with an iron fist.”

“Yes, despite your failures your successes have always overruled them, which is the case now. Since I have returned, you have permission to stand down as acting leader while I take back charge as I decide where you should go to next,” Daisuke stated.

“I understand. Whatever decision you make I will support one hundred and fifty percent,” alternate me reaffirmed.

“Very well. Enjoy some much needed rest,” Daisuke finished before bidding me farewell.

From what I had gathered, that conversation had taken place shortly after Daisuke had returned from the launch of the War Zeppelin. Instead of me confronting him and betraying my nation, we had a civil conversation that didn’t end in destruction or betrayal. That was certainly not how that moment had went.

 **“I can see you don’t understand. This is what would’ve happened had you decided to stay true to the Fire Nation and not betray Daisuke,”** Saori stated.

“But I know exactly how that would have turned out. It would’ve basically ended up like the first scenario did, with him sending me to my death,” I said.

 **“Not necessarily,”** Saori shook her head. **“In that moment, you were back to your normal self with your mind in check. Daisuke had only arranged for you to be sent to your death since he could see the trouble that your insanity was causing. Upon realising that you had sorted yourself out, he discarded that plan and allowed you to flourish in your position as General where you achieved great things.”**

“Things like what?” I asked nervously.

 **“Like being the one to finish off the Avatar once and for all after Fire Lord Ozai failed to do so. He had requested your presence by his side on the day of Sozin’s Comet, where he was ultimately taken down, but his defeat resulted in your victory as well as the Fire Nations. Because you killed the Avatar while he was in the Avatar state, the Avatar Cycle was broken and the Avatar ceased to exist,”** Saori explained.

“Well, that doesn’t sound like a good prospect,” I muttered.

 **“It wasn’t. Not just for the world, but for you as well,”** Saori agreed as she brought another vision to my attention.

This time, we were in some sort of office. At first, I had no idea whose it was until I saw an old woman sitting in a luxurious chair. While I had no idea who she was, I knew that I was about to find out as the doors opened and somebody else entered the room.

“I brought the files you asked for, my lady,” they said.

“Ah, thank you, Seung. Just put them on my desk,” the woman acknowledge him, who I now knew was Seung. Man, age certainly hadn’t been kind to him with the amount of wrinkles on his face.

“May I ask what you intend to do with them?” Seung asked.

“You already have,” the woman chuckled. “But I see no point in hiding it. I plan on looking over every document signed in my name to make sure that it is in charge for the next person who takes over my post.”

“Don’t tell me that you’re retiring,” Seung said.

“I’m seventy-five, Seung. I’ve had this job for practically all of my life. Yet despite my accomplishments, I feel like I have nothing to show for the success I have made,” the woman admitted.

“But you’re one of the most renowned legends in the world, Abby. Everyone would’ve thought that you’d hold this job until the day you died,” Seung argued, revealing that the old woman in the chair was _me_ , which shocked me to the core. Only because of how _old_ I looked. Despite being seventy-five, I looked like I could pass for someone in their nineties.

“This job has allowed me to do great things, Seung. But upon recent reflection I have come to wonder if everything I did was even worth it,” alternate me revealed.

“Why?” Seung asked.

“Look at the world that we live in. It’s been under anarchy ever since Azula succeed her father sixty years ago. And I’m sure that it will only continue once her heir takes her place. Nothing will change after that. It will only continue to be the cycle that it’s in now,” alternate me observed.

“Don’t tell me you regret killing the Avatar,” Seung accused.

“Maybe I do, maybe I don’t,” alternate me shrugged. “But we’ll never find out. There are so many ‘what ifs’ that constantly plague my mind. For someone who has achieved so much in their life, it has all practically amounted to nothing. Nobody cares about my legacy anymore. I’m unimportant to the world.”

Seung shook his head, “If Azula could hear you right now she’d be having a fit.”

“You know I never cared for her opinion,” alternate me scoffed.

“I’m just going to leave you to your own devices,” Seung announced before leaving alternate me in my office.

“Why did things have to turn out like this?” alternate me wondered out loud as she looked through the folders on her desk. “All of these accomplishments, and for what?”

The vision soon faded into nothing, which just left me and Saori standing there with nothing to say. Part of me could understand why that alternate version of my life would be so unfulfilling, since I had heard about people who had all of these achievements only for them to feel pointless. I’m not sure which scenario was worse, being sent to my death or having a life that meant nothing. Though, I guess I’d take being sent to my death since it least then it would be done and over with.

 **“You felt so unfulfilled in your personal life with those achievements that it drew you into depression. It felt as though the world had moved on without you, and that everything you did had been for nothing. Especially when your livestock started to fall apart around you and you had nobody to lean to,”** Saori finished.

“So I was screwed with either scenario. Great life, huh,” I snorted.

 **“Yet at the same time, it didn’t have to be like this. I know that there’s another life that you could’ve lived. One that you’ve always secretly wondered about yet never got to experience,”** Saori continued.

Without her even doing anything, I knew what sort of life she was referring to. I knew that she meant a life where my family had never abandoned me to be taken under Daisuke’s clutches. That was a life that I had always secretly longed for, since it honestly seemed like such a happier scenario, one that I could only dream of.

Now it was actually being presented right in front of me, with everything that I had always wanted but could never had. There was a small house in a flourishing village that looked like such an ideal place to leave. We didn’t even have to go there for me to know that the house was mine.

“Mom, dad, you’ll _never_ guess what happened at school today,” a girl who I could only assume was me exclaimed as she entered the house.

“What happened, sweetie?” a woman asked, but for whatever reason her face was completely blurred, as was the man who was sitting on a nearby chair.

Alternate me climbed onto the chair that was next to the man who I assumed was my father, “So we were in history, right? And our teacher was about to begin the lesson and this kid just rocks up late, completely covered and dressed in trash. He tried to excuse himself but our teacher was so livid that she yelled at him and scared his pants off before ordering him to take a shower in the lake. He was so embarrassed and it was _hilarious_.”

“It’s not nice to laugh about other peoples misfortune, Abby,” my mother scolded me.

“But it was hilarious, mom. I mean, who did he think he was just showing up to class like that? Of course he was going to get yelled at,” alternate me laughed. Funny how even in that reality, I’d still be laughing at peoples expense.

“How have things been at school since the war ended?” my father asked, which caught my attention.

Alternate me shrugged, “Same as always. It’s just a lot more strict on respecting the Fire Nation now that we’ve won. But it also means that they’re going to be changing the entire curriculum to include the Avatar’s defeat. That means I’m going to have to learn even more pointless stuff.”

“It’s important for you to be knowledgeable in the Fire Nation’s history, Abby. And you should respect it too since it helped shape the world that we live in,” my mother argued.

“I guess so,” alternate me groaned. “But it’s still boring.”

“Don’t you have homework that you should be doing, young lady?” my dad asked.

“Yeah,” alternate me grumbled.

“Well, how about you get that done now and we can spend the rest of the day having family time?” my dad suggested.

“Okay!” alternate me exclaimed before disappearing out of the room, just like the vision disappeared before me.

Standing back in silence, I couldn’t help the small smile that spread across my lips at the scene that I just witnessed. Having such a simple and normal life like that is definitely something that I would’ve preferred. Any life without the trials and tribulations that I’ve had to go through is a life that I’d prefer.

If only my parents hadn’t been so selfish in casting me aside. Then I could’ve had a much happier and easier life. But then I realised that my simplicity would’ve lead to the worlds anarchy with the Fire Nation supposedly winning the war. Even though it didn’t seem to affect me in that life, it still effected the rest of the world.

“So, I’m happy but the world isn’t?” I observed.

 **“The Fire Nation minus the rest of the world, that is,”** Saori added.

“Why couldn’t I see their faces?” I asked, referring to the fact that my parents faces were completely blurred out.

 **“Because that is something that you are yet to discover. Soon there will come a time where you will find the truth about your background and what lead you to this point in your life, but now you are not ready,”** Saori replied.

“Does me being an active part of the war effect any of the outcomes?” I inquired.

 **“Yes, it does. With Daisuke taking you, it steered you on the path to find your destiny. By staying with your parents, you would never find your true path and would continue living a life with no real impact on anyone else. At least with Daisuke, you were able to experience the world in a completely new light that helped you find your destiny,”** Saori explained.

“So, basically I was meant to be abandoned? I didn’t deserve to be happy,” I stated.

 **“No, Abby. Do not look at it like that. Look at it as a way for you to change the world in a way you couldn’t by living that life. While you might not see it, you do deserve to be happy and you will eventually be able to find the happiness that you seek,”** Saori advised me.

“What next?” I wondered.

 **“Unfortunately, I only have one scenario left for you to see. So, I am going to leave what it is you find out up to you. Whatever you wish to see, just say it and I will show it to you,”** Saori answered.

“I need…” I closed my eyes as I trailed off. “I need to know what happens if I continue to go on the path that I’m in now, with the way I feel about myself and my future.”

 **“Consider it done. But be warned, you may not like what you see,”** Saori replied.

Opening my eyes, I found myself back in my old cell. Just thinking about that wretched place sent shivers down my spine like Daisuke did. That wasn’t a place that I liked to remember, only because every memory that I had from it was like hell. The large door to the room opened, and several people walked inside before entering the cell.

Hunched over in the corner, was me. Because of the severity of my condition, I couldn’t help but gasp at the sight that I saw. The physical effects of the pain were obvious, with my face almost being unrecognisable because of the wounds that I had sustained. Everything about this situation filled me with dread, since whenever people entered my cell something bad always happened to me.

Sure enough, the people who had so graciously walked inside proceeded to treat me like I was just some toy for them to mess with. Every cry of pain and every wound that was inflicted on me made me wince and grimace in terror. Of all the things, this certainly wasn’t something that I was expecting to see. Standing here and watching it all happen, I could honestly say that it was one thing to experience the abuse, but to see it happening in full view was something entirely different.

“No, please. Make it stop. I don’t want to see it anymore!” I shrieked, not wanting to see myself in such a way anymore.

My screams of pain became louder and I couldn’t bring myself to look at it anymore, so I close my eyes as I stepped backwards in the hopes of getting out of this alternate reality and not having to see what I was witnessing. Eventually, I fell onto my back and when I opened my eyes, I found myself back in the white abyss with Saori standing above me, looking down at me with pity in her eyes.

“Why did you show me that if you knew I wouldn’t like it?” I asked shakily.

 **“Because it is something that you must come to accept that is a part of your past, before leaving it behind. If you continue to let them control you like this, the pain and suffering will only get worse. But you can change it just like you could’ve changed any of the decisions that you made in the past,”** Saori replied.

“What if I do the wrong thing?” I wondered.

 **“Then it will be something else for you to grow from. Think of all of this as an experience to grow and learn just how strong you are. Remember this, Abby, no matter how difficult things may seem, never forget what you’re fighting for,”** Saori said before vanishing into thin air.

Upon Saori’s vanishing act, I found myself lunging forward and sitting up right on my dusty old bed in my prison cell. With my heart still pounding from what I had last seen, I slowly positioned myself into a sitting position before burying my head into my legs. There was no way that I could see myself getting any sleep after what I had just experienced. What Saori had shown me had given me a lot to think about and a lot to contemplate.

If there was one thing that I had taken away from Saori’s intervention, is what that every decision you make has its consequences and it’s success. You could think that you were making the right decision at the time, only to realise further down the track that it wasn’t, just like I had. Another common trend with what Saori had shown me was that I needed to stop being so hard on myself, but that was going to be something hard to do since it still felt like I deserved everything I got.

Maybe it was time that I started telling myself otherwise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Interesting chapter for Abby. I like how this one turned out way better than the original that I had planned, since got to show how the different scenario’s that Abby has always questioned herself over would’ve turned out. This chapter definitely leads room for more development in how Abby perceives herself and her situation which is going to lead to a very interesting moment in the story. Unfortunately, I might not be able to update next week since I have a lot of essays to write that are due soon and I haven’t even started them, so I might have to put this on hold for a week. But stay pumped for the next chapter because I sure am pumped to write it.


	57. Awakening the Traitor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not updating the past two weeks, I was actually pretty busy with my personal life and then when I did have the chapter written I forgot to post it here again. This is one of those chapters that I’ve been dying to write, and you’ll see why by the end of it. In the Gaang’s timeline, this chapter takes place during the Beach.

_Previously, on Blinding Horizon…_

_It was then that I realised where I was. I was actually outside. The light that almost blinded me was the light that I had longed for ever since I woke up. It was strange, since I didn’t understand what I was doing out here. I was supposed to be a prisoner, and prisoners like me don’t get the luxury of being outside. Since it had been so long since I was outside, it took my eyes some time to adjust to my new surroundings._

_When I did finally adjust to what was around me, I was hit with a realisation like a tonne of bricks. The steam that filled the air like it came from a boiling lake was a dead giveaway as to what I’d figured out. For so long, the unknown had been my greatest enemy as I had no idea where I was. Only now, there was nothing to be unknown since I knew exactly where I was._

_Part of me wasn’t sure if it was a good or a bad thing for me but either way, my location had become clear to me. It was none other than the Boiling Rock._

_*:_ _･_ _✧_ _*:_ _･ﾟ_ _✧_

_Suki shook her head, “No. I’m not abandoning you for my own self-preservation. One thing that you should know about me is that I’m a loyal friend and I’d be willing to go down in flames for them if I had to. And you’re my friend, whether you want to admit it or not. So you’re stuck with me.”_

_“F-friend?” I stammered, since that word had always been so foreign to my vocabulary._

_“Yeah, I think we’ve known each other long enough to be friends,” Suki gave me a soft smile._

_“It’s just that… I’ve never really had proper friends,” I admitted awkwardly._

_*:_ _･_ _✧_ _*:_ _･ﾟ_ _✧_

_It got to the point where I could no longer feel anything that was happening. All I could do was cough up the water that was forced into my mouth and gag for air. But when I started to feel my lungs getting clogged up from the water, any breathing that I had left in me became weaker and weaker. Finally, my body started to give out from the torture and for a moment, I was relieved when I didn’t feel myself getting dunked into the tank once again._

_But my relief was short lived as my vision became blurry and I struggled to keep myself together. Any voices that I heard were muffled before it felt like their figures retreated from my view. Lying against the cold metal of the tank that I had just been dunked in only moments ago, I could barely find any reason to keep my eyes open and fight for air as my world started to darken. Finally, I let myself give out with my last thoughts being maybe, just maybe, that I deserved this. And I wasn’t going to lie, but there was a part of me that hoped I wouldn’t wake up again._

_*:_ _･_ _✧_ _*:_ _･ﾟ_ _✧_

_“How do you see yourself? Do you think you’re weird, like me?” Rei elaborated._

_“Oh,” I sighed, unsure of how to answer that question._

_In reality, there was a fairly simple answer to Rei’s question. I knew how I saw myself. I knew that I was worthless. But strangely enough, I had a hard time voicing that out loud. It was easier to say it in my own head than it was to say it._

_“I think… That I’m…” I trailed off, unsure of how to say it._

_“What?” Rei asked._

_I sighed, “Worthless.”_

_*:_ _･_ _✧_ _*:_ _･ﾟ_ _✧_

**_“Then it will be something else for you to grow from. Think of all of this as an experience to grow and learn just how strong you are. Remember this, Abby, no matter how difficult things may seem, never forget what you’re fighting for,”_ ** _Saori said before vanishing into thin air._

_Upon Saori’s vanishing act, I found myself lunging forward and sitting upright on my dusty old bed in my prison cell. With my heart still pounding from what I had last seen, I slowly positioned myself into a sitting position before burying my head into my legs. There was no way that I could see myself getting any sleep after what I had just experienced. What Saori had shown me had given me a lot to think about and a lot to contemplate._

_If there was one thing that I had taken away from Saori’s intervention, is what that every decision you make has its consequences and its success. You could think that you were making the right decision at the time, only to realise further down the track that it wasn’t, just like I had. Another common trend with what Saori had shown me was that I needed to stop being so hard on myself, but that was going to be something hard to do since it still felt like I deserved everything I got._

_Maybe it was time that I started telling myself otherwise._

_*:_ _･_ _✧_ _*:_ _･ﾟ_ _✧_

After Saori’s rather unexpected visit, I took some time to ponder on everything that she’d shown me. The whole point of what I saw was to make me realise that everything had happened for a reason and the even wasting away in prison was a better fate than the way things could’ve been. But despite that, I couldn’t help but think back on everything that I had lost and what could’ve been, even if it wasn’t meant to be.

It’s hard for me to imagine living a life where I’m actually happy, since like many other emotions happiness was such a foreign thing to me. People who were always constantly happy and for no apparent reason like Ty Lee always irritated me, and I would rather die than be someone like her. But perhaps some occasional moments of happiness wouldn’t be too bad, instead of the constant pain and suffering that I was forced to endure. Happiness had never been something that I had longed for, since I was brought up to believe that the only thing that mattered was success and being the best at what you did.

My thoughts about happiness led me to wonder what it was like for other people. Surely there had to be people out there who were happier than I was, like Suki. Even though we were locked up in a prison, Suki never seemed to let the reality of our situation bother her, no matter how much that optimism annoyed me. At the same time, I envied Suki for her optimism, just like I envied her for the life that she had to have lived before getting wound up in this mess. Based on what I knew about her homeplace of Kyoshi Island, they had managed to stay out of the war since it began whereas I had grown up with nothing but the war.

War changes people, and I am proof of that. I grew up with the war right on my doorstep and had no choice but to get involved, even if I didn’t want to. It was my job as a citizen of the Fire Nation to spread our countries greatness with the war, which was apparently what Fire Lord Sozin had wanted all along. What a load of baloney that was. While I might’ve believed that at first, knowing what I know now has made me realise that that was just another load of Fire Nation propaganda. It was our way of justifying bringing millions of people pain and suffering, even though there really was no way to justify that.

Thinking back to what Saori had shown me, I wondered how exactly I could’ve turned out if I hadn’t grown up with the influence of the war. Sure, I’d had a pretty good glimpse at what life could’ve been like for me, but even then I was surrounded by war that I obliviously dismissed. Even though Saori had profusely insisted that it wasn’t the truth, the whole thing had made me realise that I didn’t deserve to be happy. How could I think otherwise, when every scenario I saw I was anything but happy?

Sighing, I continued making my way through the long corridors of the Boiling Rock, which by this point I had almost come to memorise like the back of my hand. After all, almost eighty days had passed since my imprisonment and memorising these rusty old halls was a good way for me to distract myself. As I walked ahead, I noticed somebody else walking towards me and given the amount of stuff that I was carrying, it wasn’t like I was in any position to step out of the way.

“Hey, move,” I said.

Of course, they didn’t listen to me like nobody ever does around here and just continued walking towards me and as much as I tried to give them space, that didn’t work out as we collided into each other, sending both of our stuff flying.

“You little bitch!” they hissed.

“It wasn’t my fault,” I murmured, since it wasn’t. If they had just been paying attention we wouldn’t have bumped into each other.

“You dare blame _me_ for this? I’ll soon have you begging for mercy,” they growled.

Looking up, I came face to face with Daizo, and I instantly felt the colour go away from my face. Out of all the people who I interacted with, he was one of those who I dreaded being with the most. Then again, I dreaded being around almost everyone in this wretched place.

“It won’t happen again,” I sighed.

“You’re right, it won’t,” Daizo nodded with a sinister smirk. “Right after you drop your stuff off and let me teach you a lesson. But first, pick up my stuff while you’re at it.”

Nodding, I picked up what was his first before giving it to him and picking up what I had dropped. Of all the things that I had learned since my time in prison, it was best not to question the orders you were given with the risk of punishment. Once I had picked my stuff back up, I continued heading towards my intended direction with Daizo behind me.

At one point, I felt something shoved against my back that almost sent me falling onto the ground, but what was left of my balance had managed to save me from more humiliation. Glancing back at Daizo, he snickered at me before yelling to get my ‘lazy ass’ moving. Sometimes it took everything in me not to lose my cool on these people, since all they did was yell at us for not doing our work when in actuality, it was because of them that we couldn’t do our work. Since complaining out loud would do me no good, I simply kept quite and prepared myself for the punishment that I was about to face.

~*•°•*~

After being forced to endure a morning of various methods of punishment, I was finally relieved from my pain and allowed to go do as I pleased, or as much as I could do when I was locked up in prison. In the time that had passed, I’d missed out on my morning chores and lunch which meant that it was now my exercise hour. Granted, it wasn’t like I would be able to do much considering the new bruises that had to add to my collection. Most of the time, I tended to black out everything that was happening when they had their way with me, but there was nothing I could do to escape the way I felt after it.

Upon entering the prison courtyard, I spotted Suki standing by herself in the far corner. Not wanting to interact with anyone else, I simply made my way towards her while keeping myself hidden from the crowd. If there was one thing that Suki and I had in common, it was each other since we barely interacted with anyone else in the prison apart from Rei and Chit Sang on my part. As soon as Suki noticed my heading her way, she instantly dropped what she was doing and headed my way as well.

“Where have you been? You missed lunch!” Suki exclaimed.

I paused, remembering why I had missed lunch and that telling Suki would mean having to put up with her consistent nagging. While I knew she meant well, it was irritating with the way she spoke about it and tried pressuring me into telling her since it was _my_ business, not hers and it was better for both of us if she stayed out of it.

“I got caught up in some other business,” I lied.

Suki narrowed her eyes, “What kind of business?”

“Business that isn’t really any of yours,” I snapped.

Suki sighed, “Okay.”

Satisfied that she’d taken the hint, I decided to keep myself occupied by transferring the work that was done by other people. As long as I made it look like I was doing something productive, I wouldn’t be called out and punished for it. And after almost three months in this place, I’d become pretty good at making people think that I was doing what they wanted.

During that time, I kept a close eye on Suki as I watched her go about her daily chores. It never ceased to amaze me how she could just go on and do her work like it wasn’t even work. There were even a few times when I saw a smile on her face, and that in it of itself is something that you don’t normally see at the Boiling Rock.

“Alright,” I stated as I put my stuff down to face her. “How do you do it?”

“Do what?” Suki asked.

“This,” I gestured around.

Suki shrugged, “I just pick up the shovel and use full force. It’s not that hard, really. I didn’t think that you’d need explaining on simple chores like this.”

I rolled my eyes, “Not that. _This_. How do you just sit back and do it?”

Suki’s eyes widened in realisation, “Oh, you mean survive in prison?”

“Yeah. You’d think for an outsider you’d be even worse than me, but nope. You’re just sitting around, acting like this is some crappy vacation,” I observed.

“Because I know it’s only temporary. I know that in a few weeks or months or however long it takes, my time in here will be over. Sokka will come and get me out of here, I just know it,” Suki replied.

“Oh, your Loverboy,” I muttered with a shake of my head. “How do you even know that he knows you’re in here? Cause in order for him to rescue you, he has to know that you need rescuing.”

“I just know that Sokka will come rescue me. As soon he finds out what happened to me, he’ll do everything in his power to come and free me from this prison. That’ll show her not to doubt him,” Suki declared.

“Her?” I questioned.

Suki sighed, “It’s not important.”

“Hey, you’ve pressured me into telling you things that I didn’t want to say so now it’s my turn,” I insisted.

“Princess Azula,” Suki grumbled disdainfully.

“W-what?” I stammered.

“Princess Azula has continuously reminded me that Sokka has no idea where I am, and that he’s never going to find me and I should just give up on him. She’s written to me a few times, actually, just to try and break my spirits. She’s even gloated about Aang’s death, which only makes it even worse,” Suki explained.

I scoffed, “I’d expert her to come and do that in person.”

“How much did you know Azula?” Suki inquired.

“What makes you ask that?” I asked, not really wanting to remember the girl who was responsible for me being locked up in here in the first place. That was another thing that Suki and I had in common, the fact that we were both locked up because of Azula.

“Whenever I’ve brought her up, you always have something to say about her, like you knew her well. You even said that you two went back a fair bit,” Suki said.

“Yeah, we go back a fair bit. Long enough for me to know that she’s the biggest bitch that you’ll ever meet. Not that you’d need to know her well enough to know that. She makes herself pretty obvious with one interaction,” I replied.

“I guess so. I mean, the first time I met her was when we duelled together. Though, Sokka had warned me about her the last time I spoke to them. I just hoped that I’d never have to come across her,” Suki admitted.

“That was your first mistake, letting your fear get the best of you. Because if there’s one thing Azula lives off on, its other peoples fear. She uses it to control people, which is why she’s never been able to control me because I’ve never been afraid of her,” I proclaimed.

Suki sighed, “If only she hadn’t shown up and ruined everything. We could’ve gotten Appa back to Aang safely and avoided this whole mess. But at the same time, I’m kinda glad that it happened.”

“Why’s that?’ I wondered, not knowing what could possibly make this experience worth it.

“I got to meet you,” Suki smiled. “And we got to help each other get through this, together.”

“To get through this I have to actually get through this,” I deadpanned.

“You’ve done pretty well so far,” Suki said.

“I’ve still got a long way to go,” I sighed.

“But you’ll get there. You’ve gotten here,” Suki argued.

“How you can have so much hope is beyond me,” I muttered.

“I have to have hope. Hope is what’s gotten me through all of this in the past two months. Without hope, I’d probably be like you, completely hopeless,” Suki insisted.

“It’s probably a good thing that you’re nothing like me,” I stated.

Suki shook her head, “No, Abby. You would have to be one of the bravest and courageous people that I’ve ever met. You had the courage to stand up for what you believe in despite the risks and I don’t think that’s something that many people would be able to do. And while I know you’ll take this like a grain of salt, I just want you to know that I would be happy if I were just a bit like you.”

“Why?” I couldn’t help but ask, since I couldn’t understand why anyone would want to be like me.

“Like I said, you’re brave, you have pure ideals and you’re probably the strongest person that I’ve ever met for making it through what you’ve had to get through,” Suki proclaimed.

I sighed, “If only I could see it that way.”

“In time, you’ll realise that it’s the truth. And when you do, I can’t wait to see what you’re really made of,” Suki smiled.

At that, the courtyard bell rang meaning that our exercise time was over for the day and that we had to make our way back to our cells until our next moment of freedom. But as I did so, I couldn’t help but think about my conversation with Suki. While I’d had people say that they wanted to be like me before, I had never actually understood why. But there was just something about the way Suki said it that made me believe it and that maybe, it wouldn’t be too bad to be me after all.

~*•°•*~

The following day, I found myself on my regular cleaning duty. It was late at night, so there wasn’t that many other people around who were unlucky enough to get the nightshift duty. Working late at night didn’t bother me, since it was something that I was used to doing. But one thing that I’d noticed was that I seemed to get stuck with the worst jobs or the worst schedules that you could get. Nobody else in the right mind would want to work late at night instead of sleeping, yet here I am doing exactly that.

Not that many people got stuck with the night shift, and I was one of the few unlucky people who got it the most. The work that we got stuck with at night was always the worst, since we had to clean up the mess of what was left behind by the others so that the prison would be in top shape for the next day. If we didn’t perform like we were expected to then there would be repercussions to face, but since I always just kept my head down and did my work I mostly kept out of trouble.

Sometimes it was hard to do that since the guards often forced us to get us into trouble. That, or they just made up some pathetic excuse to make us even more miserable. One thing that I had to give the Boiling Rock credit for was its innovative methods of making its prisoners suffer, since just when I didn’t think things could get worse, they always did. Occasionally, I felt some sort of substance being flicked on me which made it frustrating as I swept the floor.

Looking up, I saw three of the guards staring down at me with disdain. If I had the strength to do so I would return the look with even more malice, but I couldn’t afford to suffer any more pain.

“Just keep your head down and do your work, bitch,” one of them spat down at me.

Wincing as the spit reached my neck, I shrugged it off before getting back to my task at hand. As I remained focused on my work, I couldn’t help but notice how quiet it was. That was, until I heard the slightest whimper coming from beside a nearby wall. Cautiously, I approached the corner and was left confronted with what I found.

Because what my eyes landed on was a girl as she was assaulted by one of the guards. It was obvious that she was struggling against him as she tried to break free, but to no avail. Just seeing her like that made me remember all of the times that I was in her position, helpless as I couldn’t fight back against my assaulter. Even though I didn’t know who the girl was, I knew that she didn’t deserve that.

Standing there with no idea what to do, I couldn’t bring myself to even do anything as I watched it happen. But then I remembered all of the times I had been manhandled and abused and how everybody had just stood by and let it happen. If I did that, I would be no better than the same people who did that to me. With that in mind, I knew that I had to help her. But how? Any move I had to make had to be with precision, and it wasn’t like I could just charge at him. Perhaps if I thought of an excuse to get her away it could save us both the harm.

Shaking my head at that thought, I tried thinking of another plan. Only because I knew that I wouldn’t be able to get her away from that man with words. If I was going to help her, I had to use _force_. But I had to act quickly, since it was only a matter of time before any attempts I made were in vain. Out of the corner of my eye, I then noticed a small pocket knife resting on a nearby table. Knowing that I needed to act fast, I made my way towards the table and carefully swiped the knife without anybody noticing it.

When it was in my grasp, I kept it clutched in my hand and for the first time in a long time, I felt _power_. Power knowing that I had the upper hand and the ability to inflict damage on something with one simple throw. Waiting for the perfect moment to strike, I stood there while remaining unsuspicious as I waited for an opening. Then, when the smallest part of his neck was visible to me, I acted, throwing the knife in his direction with complete accuracy.

A loud shout erupted through the halls as he gripped his neck in pain before ripping the knife out. Since it wasn’t a pocket knife, it wasn’t like it could do that much damage but I had thrown it hard, hoping to get that result. His gaze went up at the girl, who stood there frozen in shock before her eyes turned to me, and his followed in suit.

“You bitch! You’re going to pay for that!” he yelled

The commotion we caused earned the attention of everyone else as we soon found ourselves surrounded by the other guards and prisoners. The girl took that opportunity to make a break for it, which I was glad for. If me suffering meant her not receiving any unwarranted pain, then I would gladly take it.

“What happened?” one of the guards asked.

“The bitch stabbed me with a knife!” the man yelled.

“It was only a pocket knife,” I shrugged.

“Looks like somebody needs to be taught another lesson,” one of the guards snarled at me.

Nodding in agreement, they all turned their attention to me as they slowly made their way towards me. With each step they took, the more I took backwards. Although I knew it was futile, since they would eventually catch up with me and teach me the lesson I deserved. But then I realised, if that girl didn’t deserve that treatment, then why do I? I didn’t even know her, yet I was willing to stick my neck out for her.

In that moment, I knew what I needed to do. I couldn’t let them punish me for doing the _right_ thing. Being punished for doing the wrong thing was justifiable, but not when the intentions were good. Forgetting about everything that I had forced myself to remember in the past few months, I knew that I had to fight back. If I was going to act, I needed to act fast.

And that’s exactly what I did.

As soon as the first fist came, I was right there and ready to react. The guard didn’t stand a chance as I had him in a headlock and flipped him onto the ground with full force before tossing him aside. With him gone, that left me to face off with six other men as they surrounded me, ready to make a mess of me.

“You’re gonna regret doing that,” one of them seethed.

“We’ll see,” I muttered.

They then attacked me all at once, which forced me to be offensive and defensive as I evaded their attacks. It was surprising that I was able to keep up with their attacks for the first few moments, but then the exhaustion started to take its toll so I knew I needed act with more force. But the only way I could ensure my victory was with my firebending, and firebending was forbidden at the Boiling Rock.

But since I had already broken more than one rule tonight, I figured that I had nothing to lose. Without a second thought, I crouched down low as I spun my legs around, sending a large fire blast at the guards which caused them to back off as they recoiled from the flames. Once there was enough distance between us, two of them charged towards me but I quickly avoided them by merely using my evasive movements, merely dodging their attacks without attacking. When the perfect moment presented itself, I unleashed a powerful blast of fire against them that sent them tumbling to the side.

That made it three down, four to go. Since the other prisoners knew better than to get involved in scuffles with the guards, I didn’t have to worry about them interfering. All four remaining guards then sent a combined attack at me, so I simply leaped into the air before performing a spinning fire kick, which managed to knock another one down as well.

The remaining attacks became more ferocious after that, so I had to resort to using my defensive manoeuvres to protect myself. To my surprise, I found it easier to fight with my firebending than I had when I wasn’t using it. Then again, it wasn’t like that was anything new. When two of them had sent a combined attack at me, I made a wall of fire to protect myself before doing a swift kick with my left foot and knocking out the other guard.

“Somebody get the Warden!” one of them exclaimed.

I’m not gonna lie, when they said that it gave me a twinge of satisfaction knowing that they’d need the Warden to take me out when they couldn’t do it on their own. You’d think that the Boiling Rock would have more useful guards, yet I was handling these guys with ease. Every move they threw at me I was able to counteract without even using more of the advanced firebending moves that I knew.

Sensing another attack coming, I leaped into the air to avoid it before kicking a blast of fire at the other guard, meaning that it was down to just me and the guard who I attacked with the knife. Even though we were surrounded, nobody really did anything to intervene with us as they just watched us duel. Every blast and every move I made gave me more power, which was something that I hadn’t felt in a long time and had honestly almost forgotten what it felt like.

Out of all the guards, he had been the toughest to deal with as he managed to keep me on my toes while having to move fast to keep myself up. At one point, we both sent a charged attack at each other with its impact knocking me backwards. Before I was able to stop myself, I flung over a nearby table with my head landing on a shard of broken glass. Wincing as I stood up, I placed my hand against my forehead and I felt the blood beginning to spew.

Having renewed vigour, I stood up with determination before charging towards him, ready to finish him off. But before I could even do that, I felt a strong stinging sensation in my neck which made me fumble with my movements. At first, I was confused until I recognised the sensation as the one that came from the shirshu spit dart. Given the weakened state of my body already, its impact was already beginning to take its toll so I quickly yanked it out and threw it to the side.

Despite trying to launch another attack, I found that I was in no position to do so as I stumbled over before falling onto the ground in a tangled heap. It didn’t take that long for the venom to work its way into my system before rendering me completely unconscious, having no idea what was going on around me after the chaos that I had just caused.

~*•°•*~

The first thing I did when I regained consciousness was open my eyes and examine my surroundings. That was before I was instantly hit with a freezing sensation that I had never experienced before. Looking around, it didn’t take me too long to realise that I had been thrown into the cooler of all places.

This was actually the first time that I had been thrown into the cooler as punishment and to be honest, I was expecting a lot worse after what I had just done. Once the realisation of what had happened hit me, I instantly regretted my actions. Knowing that I had defied almost every rule I had no choice but to follow made me fear what was going to happen next. There was no doubt in my mind that I was going to suffer for what I had just done.

**But it was worth it.**

_Not now._

**Don’t try and deny it, you loved every moment of kicking their sorry asses to the side. It had to feel good putting yourself out there like that again.**

_Any satisfaction isn’t worth the pain that I’m going to face._

**Then don’t take it. You’ve been lying around for too long as you’ve let them had their way with you. It’s time to fight back, which you’ve actually already did by taking them on like that. Now you just need to stand tall and proud like you used to.**

_What reasons do I have to stand tall and proud?_

**Because you’re one of the most badass bitches in the Fire Nation. You had those guys cowering with fear with every move you made. To do that to grown men takes serious skill, which you have.**

_Can you blame them for being terrified of me? Even I’d be scared of me._

**But you’re not. You have no reason to be scared of yourself so do _everyone_ a favour and stop wallowing in your self-pity and stand up for yourself. You’ll feel so much better for doing so.**

_Even with the pain that comes with it?_

**At least you’ll know you don’t deserve the pain. You did the right thing by saving that girl. Just like you did the right thing by betraying the Fire Nation. Deep down, you’ve always known that. You’ve just believed otherwise to protect yourself.**

_Which is exactly why I can’t do that._

**Man, I just had to get stuck as your conscience, didn’t I? Oh well, you’ll soon realise that I’m right as I’m your conscience and I’ve always known what’s right.**

When that irritating voice left my head, I was finally free to be on my own. It was so much easier being able to think clearly without anything contradicting my thoughts. But were my thoughts really being contradicted? My conscience was just telling me what I already knew, that I did the right thing by helping that girl. But then it was also telling me that I should stop being pathetic. While I had always acknowledged my recent behaviour as such, it had always been because that’s what I genuinely thought that was what I had to do.

So maybe my conscience was really onto something after all. This only added even more to the confusion that I was experiencing as I struggled to decide what to do next. There was no way I could just stand by and do nothing anymore after what I just did, but was I really prepared to take on the risks that came with defying the rules?

My thoughts were interrupted as I suddenly heard the slightest noise form outside my cooler. Carefully, I crawled towards the door and glanced between the slightest gap that I could find, only to hear voices.

“I’m telling you, we’ve got to deal with this one. She’s too much trouble,” somebody hissed, and I knew that they were referring to me which spiked my interest even more.

“When the Warden here’s about this, he’s going to have our heads. We’ve been telling him that we have everything under control, only for her to act out like this? He won’t like it,” a second voice panicked.

“Then we have to make sure that she learns her lesson for this. I’m not going to suffer because she couldn’t follow her orders,” the first guy insisted.

“Then we’ll deal with her once she’s allowed out of the cooler. After the Warden speaks with her, of course,” the second one whispered.

Their voices became drained out after that, so I didn’t bother trying to listen to anything else after I had gotten enough information. It was clear that they were going to try and ‘deal with me’ after what I had just done, only the thought of suffering for helping someone else made my blood boil. It made me even more angrier than their actions ever had with me.

That was when I realised that doing what was right for someone else was no difference than doing what was right for myself, which was what I had done by betraying my country. For the past three months, I had just sat by and beaten myself up over my choices because that’s what others had been doing. But no more. There was no way I was just going to sit back and let others tell me what was right and wrong when I knew what was right and wrong, and it certainly wasn’t what they thought.

When I got out of this cooler, I planned on being a completely different person. A person that I had once been, but nobody in here had seen before. No more was I just going to be Abby, prisoner of the Fire Nation, but I was going to step out of here and embrace my title as the Dragoness. Nothing was going to get in my way ever again, and may the spirts help anyone who dares to stand in my way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, you read right. After over ten chapters of wallowing in her self-pity, Abby is officially back to her old butt-kicking self. It’s certainly going to make the rest of her prison sentence interesting, something that I can’t wait to write. Let me know what you guys thought about this turn of events. Was this how you saw it coming, or did you think something different was going to happen? I’ll leave you guys to theorise while I get back to writing the next chapter.


	58. Renewed Vigour

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As of last chapter, you guys now no longer have to put up with hopeless Abby as she’s got her fighting mojo back and can I just say, I’ve missed writing her bitchy side? Abby truly isn’t meant to be a miserable bitch and it’s about time she’s finally realised it. So these next few chapters are going to be especially interesting, since they’ll be leading up to the biggest moment by far. That’s still a fair few chapters away so in the meantime, this one takes place during the Avatar and the Fire Lord and I hope you guys enjoy it.

Not too long after they realised that I had now regained consciousness, they quickly removed me from the cooler before transporting me to a more secluded room away from anything else. It wasn’t necessarily like a torture chamber like the ones I was used to dealing with, just a small room that was undoubtedly guarded by a whole ton of guards after my latest stunt. There was no doubt in my mind that I was going to be punished for what I did, but I didn’t really fucking care.

After spending the past eighty-one days in here and just letting people walk over me, I’m sick and tired of letting them make me feel bad for the decisions that I made when they were the right ones to do. It was right of me to abandon the Fire Nation, since all they believed in was world domination and making innocent people suffer. It was right of me to defend that girl from being assault, since she didn’t deserve it, just like I didn’t either.

It’s taken me over two months to finally realise that it was wrong of them to treat me the way they did and that no matter what I had done in the past, I didn’t deserve to be treated like that. Now that I’m finally done with everything that I’ve been forced to put up with, I’m actually looking forward to the next time someone tries to mess with me, since I wouldn’t hesitate to put them in their place now. Regardless of the consequences, I’m not just going to sit back and take anybody’s shit anymore. I’m not going to be a pathetic excuse of a human being, I’m going to be Abby – the Dragoness.

At that thought, the doors to the room I was I locked in opened and I prepared myself for whatever pain I was about to be dealt with except this time, I would fight back if I could. To my surprise, it was the Warden who entered the room and I knew that he was going to have a few choice words with me about my recent behaviour. Except I was just going to try and piss him off as much as I could.

“So, Abby. I hear you tried to use firebending to escape,” the Warden snarled.

“I wasn’t trying to escape,” I argued, which was the truth. All I was focused on at the time was just putting those bastards in their place. Though next time I do cause a ruckus like that it might be because of an escape attempt.

“Silence!” the Warden yelled. “I’m very disappointed in your disrespectful behaviour. You of all people should know to treat your superiors with respect.”

“Superiors?” I scoffed. “They’re just a bunch of lousy prison guards, while I’m one of the most renowned firebenders in the world. If anything, _I’m_ the superior compared to those losers.”

The Warden glared at me, “Clearly you’ve forgotten what your place is here and that your title means nothing to you anymore. You are just a piece of treacherous scum that nobody would aspire to be like. You’re a disgrace to the Fire Nation.”

“That makes two of us,” I commented.

“What did you just say?” the Warden seethed.

“You say I’m a disgrace – which might very well be the case in most people’s minds – but the same could also be said about you. Here you are, the leader of one of the most renowned institutions in the Fire Nation and you’re one of the most respected people I could think of. Yet you allow you workers to treat those you consider to be inferior to you like they’re garbage. I’m sure the citizens of the Fire Nation would be outraged to know just how you let some incidents like _assault_ and _slavery_ get swept under the rug,” I seethed, gripping my hands tighter onto my chair with each word.

The Warden laughed, “You might think people care about you lowlifes but they don’t. If word got out about what really happened in here, nobody would bat an eyelash.”

“So you admit that you let _rape_ and _torture_ happen even though they’re considered to be crimes in a place that is for people who commit crimes?” I asked with a smirk.

“It’s not like you can do anything about it anyways,” the Warden remarked before cursing himself upon realising his mistake.

“You think I don’t have any power? I can show just how much power I have in this place just by revealing all of your dirty laundry,” I taunted as I crossed my legs. “I’m a prisoner amongst prisoners and you should know just as well as I do that of all crimes, prisoners think of rape as the worst crime you could commit next to treachery. I’m sure if I left that slip it would be enough to cause a revolt and maybe even a riot to undermine you. Then your no escape record wouldn’t be so perfect anymore, wouldn’t it?”

“Why you little bitch!” the Warden snarled. “You might think that you’re in a powerful position but that’s either wishful thinking or delusion on your part. There is no power whatsoever attached to your name in this place. Here, I hold that and I can make your life as miserable as I want to. Clearly I haven’t done enough since you still have the nerve to defy me.”

“I’ll admit, you had done just that. But that was then, and this is now. Now, I’m not going to turn a blind eye to what goes on in this wretched place. For your sake, you better hope that I never get out of these walls because when I do, I’m going to make _your_ life miserable and see how you like it,” I proclaimed.

“You say that like you’re going to escape,” the Warden snorted, almost mimicking the exact words that I said to Suki when she first made that statement.

“Just watch me,” I smirked, already thinking of the numerous ways that I could escape from this place.

“We’re done here. If you dare step out of line again, you’ll receive a far worse punishment than this,” the Warden said before turning around and exiting the room.

“Okay, I’ll be sitting here. Waiting,” I called out to him as his shadow faded from my view.

Satisfied that I’d gotten my point across, I lazily stretched out on my chair as I laughed to myself. If the Warden thought that a few words was going to stop me, then he was sadly mistaken. The games had only just begun and I was just getting started. Just knowing that I’d rattled the Warden enough to make him slip up was enough for me, knowing that I still had it.

It felt good to mess with people again.

~*•°•*~

To my surprise, my punishment for stepping out of line hadn’t been as bad as I thought it would be. All I got was a few days locked up in that room without any freedom and barely any food. So when it finally came time for me to be released back into the prison, I was actually looking forward to it. Part of me was hoping that word had spread about my little incident with the prison guards so that people would take the hint to stay the fuck away from me now since I was clearly a force to be reckoned with.

As soon as people noticed me, I recognised that feeling of nervousness around me. People were whispering as they pointed my way, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out that they were whispering about me. Even some of the guards were cautious around me, which wasn’t the reaction that I was expecting from them. While it wasn’t fear, it was good enough for me to know that I once again had that effect on people.

When I entered the prison yard, everybody clearly noticed me and the whispering continued. For a few times I considered confronting everyone to ask just what exactly they were thinking about me. But for now, I would just stay low for a bit before I started causing any real trouble. It was smarter for me not to cause too much chaos right off the bat, since I didn’t want to risk limiting my options. As much as I hated playing the long game, it seemed like that was going to be my best choice.

Like she always does, as soon as Suki noticed me she dropped what she was doing and ran towards me. The worry was evident on her face before she tackled me in a hug, which I quickly pulled her off from.

“You have got to stop disappearing on me like that! I keep on thinking that something bad has happened to you,” Suki exclaimed.

“Calm your shit, I’m fine,” I reassured her.

“I heard that you were in isolation, but then there were some people who said you were wasting away in the coolers,” Suki said.

“I was in the coolers before I was in isolation,” I confirmed.

“Why? What did you do?” Suki asked. “Everyone’s going around, acting like you’ve done something huge.”

“Well I guess I’d consider beating up a couple guards _is_ pretty huge,” I drawled.

Suki’s eyes widened, “You what?”

“I beat up a couple of the guards,” I repeated.

“Why?” Suki inquired.

I shrugged, “Because they were being dicks and I wasn’t going to let them be dicks to somebody that didn’t deserve it.”

“So, let me get this straight, after spending months telling me to follow the rules and not do anything stupid, you do _exactly_ that without a second thought?” Suki clarified.

“Pretty much,” I nodded.

“Again, why?” Suki exclaimed.

I rolled my eyes, “Before you start calling me a hypocrite, just know that I didn’t actually think about beating up the shit out of those guards until last night. There was just something inside of me that snapped and was basically like ‘fuck this’ so I beat them up. They deserved everything I threw at them and then some but I couldn’t give it to them in time.”

Suki narrowed her eyes, “What does this mean for you now?”

“It means,” I paused for a moment. “That you’ll be happy or unhappy to know that I’m not going to take anybody’s shit anymore. I’m tired of playing by other people’s rules and its time I start playing by my own. I’ve been a doormat for too long now and it’s time to stop that pathetic behaviour.”

“Is this what you’re like when you’re actually happy?” Suki asked.

“I wouldn’t call it _happy_ , Ninja, just not completely miserable,” I corrected, replacing Suki’s name with ninja.

“Well, I’m glad that you’re not completely miserable anymore,” Suki commented before realising what I called her. “Wait, why did you call me ninja?”

“Because you’re like one,” I replied, which was the truth. Normally I used my nicknames for people with malice but I couldn’t do that with Suki, since she didn’t really deserve that.

“Oh, well, thanks for the compliment, I guess,” Suki murmured. “Does this mean you’d come with me if we got out of here?”

“Well, first we’d have to actually get out of here,” I pointed out. “But don’t worry about that, I’m gonna start thinking up of some possible escape scenarios so we don’t have to waste our time waiting for your Loverboy.”

“I’ll take that as a you’ll think about it,” Suki replied.

“Now, let’s just put our heads down and do what they want us to for now. We can’t go around causing _too_ much trouble straight off the bat,” I stated, not dismissing Suki’s offer but not accepting it either.

Truth be told, I wasn’t sure what I’d do when I eventually got out of here. If the opportunity presented itself, I wouldn’t mind tagging along with the Avatar’s crew since that would probably be my best bet of ensuring that I stayed out of prison. Then again, I didn’t want to be anywhere I wasn’t wanted and they clearly hated my guts so I knew that they wouldn’t welcome me with open arms.

In the meantime, I’d just stay focused on plotting my eventual escape that would take plenty of time to execute it perfectly and cross that bridge when I got to it. As much as I wanted to come up with the perfect plan, I also wanted to get out of here as soon as possible so I’d be using any spare time that I had to make that happen. There was no way that I was going to die here anymore and I didn’t care where that happened, just as long as it wasn’t here.

~*•°•*~

It seemed as though my ‘street cred’ around here had increased after news of my recent altercation with the guards spread around the prison yard. While there were still plenty of scornful looks that were sent my way, people almost seemed too afraid to approach me which was exactly the reaction that I was hoping for. Just knowing that I still had that much power over people was enough to bring back some of the confidence that I had lost in the past few months, since they were the ones who were scared of me while they were just nothing to me.

There was just something about having such an impact on people that gave me so much confidence and I could never quite understand what that was. Maybe it was just my ego, since I had always had a big one and it only got bigger thanks to other people. Although I knew that I had to stop resting on what other people thought of me and start worrying about what only I think. It was just going to be difficult breaking out of that mould, since for so long I got my self esteem based on other people’s opinion of me.

That was another epiphany that had come to me shortly after I realised that I had to stop being so pathetic. The reason why I was being so pathetic was because that’s what everyone was telling me. Back when I basically thought that I was Agni’s gift to the world was because that was what everyone was telling me. Well, they might not have put it like _that_ but that’s what I took away from it. While I knew it was a problematic trait to have, I wasn’t so sure how to get rid of it, since I didn’t want my ego to get in the way of things anymore.

As hard as it had been to come to those realisations, I know that it was what I had to do so that I could work on improving myself as a person. Not everyone seemed to share my same thoughts, since I still didn’t get the respect that I knew I deserved. Instead I got the harsh treatment from the other prisoners and guards that I had grown used to. Except this time I allowed it to get under my skin and use it as an excuse to snap on them, although I was very careful to choose who I snapped on.

“Well, well, well,” a voice drawled from behind me. “If it isn’t our residential traitor.”

Turning around, I saw one of the group leaders – Sakura – standing behind me. She basically kept all of the misfits in check and had almost everyone under her control. Everyone but me, of course.

“If it isn’t our residential bitch,” I remarked, since that was what Sakura was. You’d think that for someone being in their thirties that she’d have a little more common decency but nope. She’d have to be one of the most disrespectful people that I’ve ever met.

Sakura glared at me, “Watch your tongue, you little bitch. Don’t forget who’s in charge here.”

I crossed my arms, “That’s definitely not you since as far as I’m aware, it’s the guards that are in charge, even if they’re the most incompetent people on the planet.”

“Someone’s got an attitude all of a sudden,” Sakura commented.

“I’m just stating the truth,” I shrugged.

“Well, honey, you better get your attitude in check because we’d hate to have something bad happen to you because of it,” Sakura threatened.

I glared at her, “Oh, really? I didn’t realise that I had to be respectful to someone who was hardly respectful to anyone but herself. It says a lot, doesn’t it? That the only one who gives you respect is yourself.”

“Are you implying that nobody respects me?” Sakura spat.

“Yes, actually,” I nodded.

“You little bitch!” Sakura exclaimed as she grabbed me at my throat and shoved me up against the nearest wall.

After looking around to make sure nobody was there to see us, I grabbed hold of her hands and pulled them down before body slamming her onto the ground. For someone who was known to be a fighter, she hardly even put up a fight. Once I had her on the ground, I stood on her chest and put her in the choker hold.

“Not so tough now, are you?” I asked with a smirk.

“Get your filthy hands and feet off of me,” she snarled.

“Nah, I’m feeling kind of comfortable like this,” I remarked.

“Well, I’m not!” Sakura exclaimed.

“Why should I care about how comfortable you’re feeling when you were perfectly willing to shove me up against a wall and do who knows what to me,” I argued.

“Just tell me what you want and I’ll drop it,” Sakura said as she struggled against my grip.

Smirking to myself, I quickly pulled her up and slammed her against the wall in the exact same spot that she had me moments ago. For a few more moments, I just glared at her, hoping to get some reaction of fear from her, which I unfortunately didn’t but I at least got a pissed off look from her which was good enough for me.

“What you’re gonna do is get off your Agni-forsaken high horse because guess what, you’re nothing but shit. We all are. We might think that we’re Agni’s gift to the world but we’re not. We were always told not to be someone we’re not so maybe you should take that advice and start treating people other than yourself with the respect that they deserve,” I ranted.

With one last glare at her, I left her there somewhat gobsmacked and I hoped that she took my advice to heart. Even though I knew that I’d certainly acted the way Sakura had in the past, I definitely wasn’t going to anymore. I knew that I needed to add a little more humility to my life, and I was going to try and get some, even if I didn’t exactly know how.

~*•°•*~

Throughout the following day, I felt different. Like something had changed in me. Not something metaphorically speaking, just literal. All day it was bugging me, and I didn’t get any answers. Something about the guards was also off, like they were celebrating something. Since the Fire Nation had all but won the war with the fall of Ba Sing Se, I couldn’t imagine anything else that they’d have to celebrate.

One thing that bugged me the most about being in prison was not knowing that day it was. While I kept track of how many days I had been in here for, I had no idea what the exact date was. It made me feel like I was missing something important, which I basically was. Later that evening, I was preparing some meals for the guards along with Suki and some of the other prisoners. They seemed to have changed their menu for the day, since it included the Fire Nation’s most iconic meals, which made me think that it was some sort of holiday today.

“Tell me, why are we going through all of this effort for them when we get nothing in return but their leftovers?” Suki asked as we set up our next meal.

“That’s the Fire Nation for you,” I mumbled.

“I’ve heard it’s some special holiday, but I don’t know what,” Suki said.

“Are you two _that_ uneducated?” another prisoner asked. “It’s the day of the Summer Solstice.”

Realisation dawned on me as I realised the significance of today’s day. The Summer Solstice was one of the most celebrated Fire Nation holidays, but it held a more important meaning to me.

“Oh,” I sighed.

“What’s so special about today?” Suki asked.

“Since it’s the Summer Solstice and the Fire Nation is the most connected to the summer, we celebrate it every year. People often make offerings to the gods out of respect and all that stuff. Some people believe that people born on the Summer Solstice will grow up to be extremely successful firebenders,” I explained before taking a pause. “An example of that being me.”

Suki’s eyes widened, “Wait, so you’re born on the Summer Solstice and since that’s today that means…”

I nodded, “Yep, it’s my birthday. I’m sixteen now.”

“Well, happy birthday then,” Suki said awkwardly. “I’m sorry that you have to spend it in this place.

“Eh, don’t be,” I shrugged. “I’m in a better mood today than I thought I would be. Granted, I didn’t even think that I would live to sixteen. But here I am.”

“Hopefully your next birthday will be celebrated somewhere more appropriate,” Suki commented.

“Yeah, hopefully,” I whispered. While Suki didn’t know it, I planned on being out of this place by my next birthday without a doubt. I already had the early stages of a rough escape plan that I was hoping to put into fruition soon enough.

“Hey, earth rat!” one of the prisoners called out to Suki. “We need you to get these meals out.”

Suki sighed, “Coming.”

If you had asked me where I thought I’d be celebrating my sixteenth birthday, I never would’ve said in prison. But the universe has a funny way of working things out for you. In all honesty, I had never really been that fussed by my birthday since to me it was just being another year closer to dying. But given my new goals to see things differently, I figured that I might as well celebrate it for what it is.

“Happy birthday to me,” I muttered. “And many more.”

“Dude, you’re putting the sauce in wrong!” I heard someone exclaim from beside me, distracting me from my birthday thoughts.

“I’ve prepared his food before, I know how to do it,” another voice argued.

“Just get it done!” a third voice hissed.

“What are you idiots arguing about?” I snapped as I turned around to see three people crowded around a plate of food.

“We’re preparing the Warden’s main course,” the one on the left replied.

I smirked at the opportunity that they had presented me, “Oh, you guys don’t have to do that. I’ll happily take over.”

“If you want this job, by all means, take it,” the one on the right conceded.

“Dude, you know how the Warden feels about her,” the one in the middle hissed.

I rolled my eyes, “Nothing would make me feel more satisfied than helping our esteemed Warden. So, just let me take over. I insist.”

“Let her have it, then she can take the hit if it’s awful,” the one on the left reasoned, which seemed to make them come to an agreement.

“Fine, you can have it. But its your fault if it tanks so don’t try passing the blame to us,” the one in the middle agreed.

Once they had left me alone, I quickly took what they had prepared for the Warden to some place more private as I put the finishing touches to his meal. This was going to be another of my many attempts at getting even with these jerks. While it wasn’t going to be much, it was still going to be enough for me.

At one point, I heard soft footsteps approaching me from behind. Using my quick reflexes, I turned around to face whoever it was, only to come face to face with a young woman. She didn’t appear to be much of a threat, so I originally dismissed her presence before I recognised her from where I last saw her. That was the same girl who I had freed from that guard the other day.

“Hi,” she greeted me.

“Hey,” I replied.

“I’ve been wanting to approach you s-since, you know, it happened, but I’ve been trying to work myself up for it. I’m here now and I just wanted to say something. I wanted to say thanks, for doing what you did,” she said.

I blinked, “You’re welcome.”

“Without you interfering, he probably would’ve gotten a lot further with me since I had no intentions of stopping him. But you did, and I will be forever grateful,” she added.

“No need to thank me. I was just doing the right thing,” I shrugged. “If anything, I should be thanking you, since that was the push I needed to do something.”

“Then I guess we’re both even,” the girl smiled. “If you ever see me around, feel free to approach me. We can bash the prison guards together.”

I chuckled, “I could always use someone to banter with.”

After giving me another smile, the woman headed off and left me standing their on me own. In all honesty, I didn’t see why she had to thank me for doing what I did since like I said, I was just doing the right thing. There are some things that you should be thankful for, but then some things just aren’t necessary.

Pushing my thoughts on her aside, I put my focus back on finishing off the Wardens meal. When I did, I added one final extra to the mix. With one big suck, I spat in his food and looked at it in satisfaction. While the Warden would never know what I did to his food, I’d know and it would always give me a kick knowing that he didn’t know he’d ate something that somebody had spat in. With that done, I handed it to the guy who was set to give it away.

“When you give this to the Warden, tell him that I made it with the utmost of care,” I said through an obviously fake smile.

The prisoner didn’t seem too phased by my comment since he just took the plate of food and headed off with it. Satisfied with what I had done, I went back to the kitchen to finish off my duties for the evening. While it might not have been an ideal birthday celebration, I had certainly given myself a well-deserved kick out of it with the hopes that next year, I’d be celebrating anywhere but here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gotta love ‘I don’t give a fuck’ Abby. She’s so much better than ‘I hate everything’ Abby. So as of this chapter, Abby is now officially sixteen which is good for her, but it sucks that she had to spend that day in prison. In my original plan, Abby was just going to go through prison without a birthday since she was already sixteen but then I realised that her birthday needed a mention at some point so I threw it in here. Some of the stuff on the Summer Solstice I pulled out of nowhere, like the giving of foods and stuff but it seems like something that the Fire Nation would do.


	59. Seizing the Moment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter of the fifties so next time we’ll be onto the sixties. It never ceases to surprise me with how far I come with my stories. This chapter takes place during the Runaway.

Once my birthday had passed, I remained focused on planning getting myself out of here so that I wouldn’t be spending my seventeenth birthday behind these walls. So far, my plan was coming along quite nicely and it was one that wouldn’t require that much planning or thought. Thanks to the way the Boiling Rock was built, the only way on or off that island were the two gondolas. No matter what plan I came up with, it would’ve had to involve me getting on to the gondola’s without                                                                                                            

With that in mind, I needed to come up with a plan to get myself to the gondolas without being detected. As much as I knew I could handle the guards and whatever they could throw at me, I needed to be able to get to the gondola without getting myself into any trouble. Surprisingly, getting to the gondola was actually the hardest part to plan, since I knew exactly what I was going to do once I got there. All I had to do was manage to swipe one of the guards handcuffs and then use my firebending to propel myself across the line connected to the gondolas.

First I had to figure out how to get there, and that had to involve somehow getting me to the gondolas without getting noticed by the guards. Getting caught by the guards would risk me facing some serious punishment and I just wanted to get out of here as soon as I could. If I was able to figure out a way through here undetected, I could find myself free within a few days. Once I got off the prison rig, I planned on hijacking one of their boats to make my escape official and then I would make history as the first person to escape from the so-called ‘inescapable’ Boiling Rock.

Before I could even put an escape plan into action, I had to get myself back into tip-top shape, which was why I was now in the prison gym with Rei. Since gaining my desire back, I decided to take up her offer on teaching her how to fight since it was good for me to get into formation again. It was weird telling Rei what to do, since for the longest time I was always the person who was being told what to do. Teaching was never something that I saw myself doing, since I hated dealing with people who were less competent than I was, but I found that training Rei was very therapeutic for me.

“Imagine landing a blow to their chest,” I barked, leaning against the wall while I watched Rei train.

“Ha!” Rei yelled as she gave a weak punch.

“That’s not it,” I shook my head as I took myself away from my position before making sure that nobody was paying attention to me. “You need to add _force_ to your hits. You can punch someone as much as you can, but if you really want to do some damage, you need force.”

“I’m sorry I’m not the forceful type,” Rei snapped.

I sighed, “I can’t fault you for that. Peoples fighting style often comes from their personality. Those who are quiet and timid often have a more weak style and vice versa. Then there are people who fight the opposite of what their personality is.”

“Where would I fit in there?” Rei asked.

“You just don’t really know what you’re doing, since it’s pretty obvious that this is all new to you,” I replied. “Makes me wonder how exactly you managed to land yourself in prison.”

“That’s a story you wouldn’t wanna hear. I just got mixed up with something I shouldn’t have and they put me in here because of it,” Rei said.

“Let’s just keep going on,” I suggested, earning a nod from Rei.

Although Rei and I were on speaking terms and we helped each other out when necessary, we weren’t exactly friends. We just hung around each other since we were the only people we could really relate to. All of the other prisoners were murderous convicts who we just didn’t connect with. Along with Suki, we were some of the youngest prisoners here since most of the other prisoners were well into their middle ages. It also didn’t help that I was a traitor, which basically had me shunned from all of the other prisoners.

It really was ironic that out of all the crimes, treachery was considered worse than something like murder which I thought was completely ridiculous. Some people committed treachery for the right reasons, whereas in most cases there is no justifiable way to defend murder. In some cases, murder might be the only option as a means of self-defence, but when its unnecessary I see that there is no way to justify such actions. To me, murder along with rape were the worst crimes that you could commit. But as I have quickly learned, not everyone has the same moral point of view as I did.

Luckily for me, I didn’t plan on being stuck in here anymore to put up with their shit. Within a few days my plan would hopefully be ready to put into action and then I could finally get the fuck out of this place. But before I could think ahead like that, I needed to make sure that whatever plan that I came up with was perfect. There was no way I was going to go through all of this trouble only for it to not work. No matter what happened, getting caught too early was not an option for me. This plan was going to be perfect, and I would soon be kissing goodbye to this wasted place. For that I was looking forward to.

~*•°•*~

Since I was so exposed to the everyday life at the Boiling Rock, it shouldn’t have been that hard for me to discover a weakness and use it as my escape route. However, they didn’t call the Boiling Rock the most secure place in the Fire Nation for nothing. The guards were always careful to not give anything away, or let any possible opportunity to revolt happen. From what I had heard, most people had tried using a riot to slip past the guards, although they never made it far as they would end up right where they started. That wasn’t how I wanted things to turn out for me, since I wanted to get as far away from here as possible.

So while Suki happily ate away at her food, I kept my eyes open while not being too obvious that I was looking for anything. Even though this was just a cafeteria, there could’ve been any way for me to get out of here. All I ended up getting was near heat exhaustion from the heat that came in from the Agni-forsaken heating vents. There was always enough steam that got through them, and I always thought that it was just another way for them to torture us with their ridiculous temperatures.

“Hey, Abby. You’re not listening to me,” Suki snapped.

“Huh? What?” I asked, focusing my attention back on Suki.

Suki rolled her eyes, “I just said that you’re not listening to me. Is everything alright?”

“Yeah, everything’s fine, Ninja. Nothing to worry yourself over,” I reassured her, using my new nickname for Suki.

“You’ve been distracted a lot recently, like you’re a million miles away,” Suki stated.

“I wish I was a million miles away,” I muttered.

“You and me both,” Suki chuckled. “But seriously, what’s going on? If it’s anything that I could help with, you can tell me. You know by now that I don’t judge.”

For a few moments, I debated on whether or not I should tell Suki about my plans. At this point in time, my plans were pretty one-dimensional since they only concerned me. I didn’t want Suki getting involved and risk blowing up the whole thing. But then I figured that I could use someone to bounce ideas off of, and Suki was the only person that I really trusted around here with that sort of information.

“Okay, I’ll tell you. But you must promise not to tell _anyone_ ,” I conceded.

Suki nodded, “Whatever you’re about to tell me will stay with me only.”

“I’m not sure when and I’m not entirely sure how yet but,” I paused as I leaned closer so that nobody could hear me. “I plan on busting out of this place in a few days.”

“What? How?” Suki hissed.

“That part, I haven’t exactly figured out yet,” I admitted. “But I do know how I’m going to get off the rig, I just have to figure out a way to get there.”

“How can you possibly be thinking of escaping when you’ve been saying this entire time that this place is inescapable?” Suki snapped.

“That’s only because nobody has succeeded yet. No place is indestructible. Look at Ba Sing Se. Everyone thought that place was the safest place on earth, only for it to get taken down on the inside,” I reminded her.

“Let’s not talk about that,” Suki muttered.

“Oh, right. I won’t,” I sighed, remembering that Ba Sing Se was a bit of a touchy subject for Suki.

“You said you know how you’re going to get off the rig. How?” Suki whispered.

“By using my firebending, I’ll propel myself across the rope attached to the gondola’s. But first, I have to figure out a way to get there while remaining undetected,” I replied.

“This is just crazy,” Suki shook her head. “You are crazy.”

“I’ve been called worse things,” I deadpanned.

“Do you really want to risk getting caught escaping and have to face the consequences for such actions? I don’t even want to imagine what they’d do to you if you were caught escaping,” Suki said.

“I’ll get caught, but I won’t let them catch me,” I insisted.

“You could always just wait a little longer. I know that Sokka is going to come rescue me and in return, rescue you as well. Maybe then we can fight along side them in the invasion,” Suki suggested.

“Invasion? What invasion?” I asked, having never heard of anything like this before.

“Didn’t I tell you?” Suki queried.

“Um, no,” I drawled.

“Oh, well basically, when I last met up with Sokka he told me that they were going to Ba Sing Se to plan an invasion this summer with the Earth King. Apparently there’s going to be an eclipse on that day so the firebenders won’t be able to use their firebending. It’s the last opportunity before some comet that’s supposed to arrive by the end of the summer,” Suki explained.

“Sozin’s Comet,” I stated.

“What?” Suki queried.

“That’s the comet that’s coming at the end of the summer. It’s supposed to give firebenders unimaginable strength and power. Since it was used to start the war, I’m fairly certain that they’d use it to end the war,” I answered.

“No wonder they want to attack the Fire Lord before then,” Suki commented.

“When is this ‘eclipse’ happening?” I asked.

“I can’t remember,” Suki groaned. “Sokka said that he would send me more details once they got the Earth Kings approval, but since I’m in here that’s not gonna happen.”

“You didn’t think to tell me this before now?” I snapped, irritated that this information had gone past me. Maybe if I had known, I wouldn’t have been in a miserable slump for as long as I was.

“Well, it slipped my mind and anyways I figured that telling you would’ve made no difference to your outlook,” Suki reasoned.

I sighed, “Fair enough. But would they really risk attacking the Fire Nation without the Earth King’s armies? I doubt that they’ll have that much support since the Earth Kingdom’s armies are probably under the control of the Fire Nation now.”

“Trust me, Sokka wouldn’t let an opportunity like this pass up. If there was a chance to defeat the Fire Lord without Aang, I think that they would take it,” Suki insisted.

“This has certainly given me something to think about,” I admitted as I crossed my arms in thought. “But I’m still going ahead with my escape plan. I don’t want to wait around for someone who may or may not even show up to save me. I can save myself, I already have done just that.”

“If you do go through with this plan, just promise me that you’ll be careful,” Suki said.

“I promise,” I muttered before picking up my tray and putting it aside and left the cafeteria.

To be honest, I might’ve changed my plans if Suki had insisted on coming with me, but since she was convinced that her Loverboy was going to bust her out anyways, I figured that I might as well put my fate in my own hands. But first, I had to figure out how to manipulate fate to my advantage, since I was still left without a way of getting to the gondola’s undetected.

Thinking was always something that I needed to do without any distractions, so it was really bothersome having the heat form the heating vents being a nuisance. Looking up, I could see that the heating vents went on for miles and there probably wasn’t one part of the prison that’s temperature wasn’t influenced by the heating vents. Nobody in their right mind would risk getting caught near one and that’s when it hit me; the perfect escape route.

Quickly doing the calculations, I figured that I might barely fit through them and would be able to crawl through without bringing any attention to myself. Even if the guards discovered my absence, they wouldn’t be able to find me in the heating vents unless I gave myself away. But given my training, I was confident that I would be able to do just that and by the time I reached the gondola’s those guards wouldn’t be able to put a stop to me. With a smile on my face, I headed to my cell knowing that my days in here were numbered, but in a good way. Although this plan did require a little bit of inside help, and I knew just the person to help me.

~*•°•*~

After spending a few days ensuring that my plan would go off without a hitch, it finally came time for me to put it into action. Since I had no idea where to get into the heating vents, I’d got myself some help so that I would be able to find my way through. The perfect person for that was none other than Chit Sang, since he had made several failed escape attempts and would surely know the layout of the prison by now.

Sure enough, Chit Sang knew exactly where I could make my entrance and had agreed to help me get through without being noticed. To make things even better, Chit Sang had his own map of the heating vents that he had given to me so I would be able know where to get out. Part of me was somewhat surprised that Chit Sang had agreed to help me, even though he had helped me so far. But this was a lot to ask for, especially since I knew how much he wanted to get out of these walls.

Standing near a large fan, I watched as Chit Sang unbolted the entrance that I would need to the heating vents while keeping my eyes open for anyone that came by. It didn’t take long for Chit Sang to unbolt the entrance and luckily for me, it looked like I would just be able to fit through. My biggest concern with this plan had been that I might not be able to squeeze through, but it seemed as though that wouldn’t be a concern.

“Alright, here’s the map of the vents. You’re starting here and you need to get to here. Make sure you take this,” Chit Sang said as he handed me a water holder.

“Why?” I asked.

“Because, it’ll only get hotter in there the longer you stay in. You’ll need some water to keep yourself hydrated,” Chit Sang replied.

I nodded, “Thank you, Chit Sang. Without your help I wouldn’t be able to put this plan into action.”

“Hey, I might want to bust out of here just as much as you do, but you deserve this freedom more. Just be careful when you reach the end,” Chit Sang said.

“I will. Thank you again,” I gave him a small smile, which he returned.

With one last deep breath, I prepared myself before getting down onto my hands and knees and forced my way through the heating vents. Behind me, I heard Chit Sang seal the entrance shut again, which he needed to do to make sure that nobody realised what had been done. It didn’t take long for the heat to start to bother me, and I was suddenly thankful for Chit Sang giving me this water, since the last thing I wanted to do was have some sort of heat stroke and die in the vents.

Using my firebending, I was able to manipulate some control of the heat so that it was a bit more bearable for me, but it still didn’t exactly help the situation. Sweat quickly started pouring off of me and what made it even more frustrating was that I couldn’t reach to wipe it off. There was barely enough room inside of these things for me to stretch my arms and legs out, so I was left as a sweating mess. Never before had I been so thankful for my ability to manipulate the heat around me, since without that I’d probably be a sitting turtleduck in here.

About fifteen minutes into my entrance, I suddenly heard a loud ringing sound from outside the vents. Since I had spent over three months in this place, I knew what that sound was for. Either somebody else had caused some sort of trouble, or they had realised that I was nowhere to be found. It wouldn’t be long before the prison was on a full-on lockdown as they scoured the place for me. If this plan went the way that it was supposed to, then the last time they would see me was when I was rocketing past them with my jet propulsion.

Relief started to set in as I began to reach the required exit that I needed to make. However, I quickly realised that I needed to approach this area with caution as I soon realised just how unstable this part of the heating vents was. Worry soon replaced that relief as it felt like the heating vent was about to collapse right form under me. Gritting my teeth in determination, I pushed through as I refused to have come this far and for it to have been for nothing.

“You hear something?” a voice asked.

“It sounds like it’s coming from the vents,” another voice replied.

Before I could even register what was happening, I felt whatever was holding the vents together slowly start to snap and I knew that it was only a matter of time before this plan that was supposed to be a success turned out to be a complete failure.

“Fucking hell,” I spat.

Sure enough, it was barely a few more seconds before the heating vent finally collapsed on me, sending me hurling towards the ground and taking down the two guards below me at the same time. The sharp metal from the vents had pierced through my skin, so I was left with a few cuts and bruises but I knew that once they got me in their clutches it would be a lot worse than that.

“Hey, we’ve got her!” one of them yelled.

“Like hell you do,” I snapped as I pried them off of me.

Knowing that the area to the gondola’s was in sight, I ran as fast as I could but not before I swiped one of the two guards handcuffs. For me to be able to propel myself across the rope, I’d need something to hold onto and their handcuffs seemed to be the best alternative. Unfortunately for me, Id barely even ran a few meters before I was tackled by several guards and the very same handcuffs that I had stolen were used to strap my hands together.

Once they had me in their clutches, I was slammed against the door as a slight burning sensation spread throughout my body. Since I had spent as long as I did in the heating vents, I felt as though I was about to collapse any minute and given the mess that I had just gotten myself into now, I was looking forward to it. But they didn’t let me have that satisfaction as they immediately shoved a bucket of ice over my head, which was enough to keep me alert as they dragged me away.

“You’re gonna regret doing that,” one of the guards sneered.

Despite the punishment that I was undoubtedly going to receive for this, I could honestly say that I didn’t regret my actions. It was time that I became proactive and stopped waiting for other people to save me when I was completely capable of doing that myself. Although I had failed today, I knew that I would keep trying until I eventually succeeded, because there was no way that I was going to let them have this victory over me. If anyone was going to be victorious, it would be me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably the shortest chapter that I’ve written for this story in a while, despite being at nearly 4k words which would be a lot for anybody. The mention of the eclipse is certainly going to come in handy later, since if she hadn’t made it clear herself this won’t be Abby’s last escape attempt.


	60. Prompting Speculation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the sixties and soon to be followed by the seventies but not the eighties, lol. Although things might seem a bit tamer now, just prepare yourselves for what’s next to come in this story since I’m certainly looking forward to it. This chapter takes place after the Runaway, but before the Puppetmaster.

As expected, I was quickly taken away from the public eye once I had been discovered. To my surprise, they put me in the cooler once again but I figured that that was a better punishment than what they could’ve given me. At this rate, I’d take any other punishment other than what I have received so far. My time in the cooler certainly gave me time to cool myself down, so it was actually quite some time before the affects of the cooler started to kick in.

The cooler certainly wasn’t a place where you wanted to be, especially if you were a firebender. Although it was primarily used as punishment for those who firebended, it was still used against others as a way of punishing them since they couldn’t use their firebending as a coping mechanism. For most firebenders, a day in the cooler took away a weeks’ worth of firebending. Not that we could really use it in here anyways. Luckily for me, I had my breath of fire to keep me warm and withstand the freezing temperatures.

This time in the cooler certainly gave me some time to reflect on my failed escape plan. In hindsight, I wasn’t really sure what to blame since I certainly couldn’t blame myself because it was the heating vent that had collapsed on me, thus giving me away and putting an end to any escape that I could’ve made. Freedom had been so close for me, it was within my grasp but then everything had quite literally collapsed underneath me. Next time I came up with an escape plan I would be sure to think through every possible scenario – even those I couldn’t control.

After what seemed like forever in the cooler, the metal doors that kept me from the place I was forced to call my residence. When the doors opened, nothing happened so there was silence for a few moments until I decided to look up, only to come face to face with the Warden. Figures that word travels fast around here.

“So, I hear you tried sneaking through the heating vents to escape,” the Warden drawled.

“I’m not gonna deny that,” I shrugged.

“I thought I made myself clear about the consequences for actions like those when you first got here. Actions as such are forbidden in the Boiling Rock,” the Warden reminded me.

“Yet I still did it anyway,” I remarked.

“You better watch your tone, young lady. I’ll remind you again who you’re speaking to and that I hold your faith in my hands. You need to remember what you were taught and that is not how you speak to your superiors. The Fire Nation would be disgusted in your behaviour,” the Warden said.

“The Fire Nation can go fuck itself,” I spat.

Immediately after those words left my mouth, a hard hand slapped me across my face. It was obvious whose hand that came from and all I did in response was turn my head around and look right back up at him with a glare.

“How dare you say that about our great nation! You should consider yourself lucky to be born into us!” the Warden yelled.

“I’d rather be born anywhere else!” I exclaimed.

“You insolent, arrogant, disgraceful child!” the Warden snapped. “But what to do with you?”

“Why don’t we just leave her in the cooler for a week to give her some time to think about her actions,” one of the guards suggested.

“What an excellent idea,” the Warden agreed. “Of course, we’ll have to make some modifications so that she doesn’t _freeze_ to death even though it’s desirable. We can’t have her death on our hands anyways.”

“We can change the temperatures for her specifically,” another guard said.

“Good. Now, just sit back and enjoy a little me time,” the Warden smirked before shutting the door in my face, leaving me stuck in the blasted cooler.

Cursing to myself once the door was shut, I buried my face into my hands as I let out a breath of fire in frustration. A week in the cooler was certainly not how I wanted to spend the rest of my week. Sure, I could handle a day or a couple of hours but I wasn’t so sure about a week. Part of me found it ironic that I had tried escaping through the hottest place I could and now I was stuck in the exact opposite of that.

There was nothing more that I wanted to do than to return the smack that the Warden had given me, but now probably wasn’t the best time to do so. You’ve always gotta choose your battles carefully and right now, I’m fighting a losing battle but I’m determined to turn it around. While I might be locked in the least desirable place for anyone, at least this would give me more time to think about any possible escape plans.

~*•°•*~

Luckily for me, my week in the cooler went by faster than I thought it was. When I was finally released and thrown back into my cell, I immediately felt the affects of being locked in a cold place like that for such a long time. My firebending was almost gone and I could only perform the smallest blasts of fire, but I knew that in another week or so my bending would be at its normal peak. The cooler certainly gave me time to reflect and reassess where I thought I was at with everything.

Since my first escape attempt had ended in a failure, I knew that I would have to come up with another, more revised plan in order to achieve my freedom. This time I was going to think more carefully about whatever plan I could come up with and look for anything that could possibly result in failure. Next time I planned on doing something a lot less direct than what I originally tried, since doing so had somewhat influenced my decision making.

Upon being given back my privileges, I quickly went off to find Suki since I was hoping that perhaps the two of us could come up with something together. If there was anyone that I’d want to escape with, it would be Suki since we both deserved our freedom as much as each other. Plus, there isn’t anyone else that I would trust with this sort of information since I wasn’t so sure about bringing Chit Sang on another escape plot.

Like she always did when we went ages without seeing each other, Suki quickly ran up to me and gave me a hug – which I quickly pulled away from. Hugging would never be something that I was a fan of, and I doubted that I ever would feel comfortable with it given how being in close proximity with other people always ended for me. Once I pried Suki off of me, I took her aside somewhere we couldn’t be heard so we could talk in private.

“What happened? How did you get caught? Are you alright?” Suki asked.

“I’m fine. They just threw me in the cooler for a week so other than the fact that my firebending is basically gone, I’m fine,” I reassured her.

“That’s good. When I heard that you’d gotten caught escaping I was worried about what they would do to you. I’m just glad to see that you came out of it in one piece,” Suki smiled.

“They caught me after the heating vent I was crawling through collapsed underneath me. I tried to make a break for it then, but I think I was covered in too much sweat to really do anything about it, so they just threw me in the cooler. When the Warden came, he was obviously pissed off and decided to leave me in there for a week,” I explained.

“That must’ve sucked,” Suki grimaced.

I shrugged, “It could’ve been worse, so in hindsight being locked in the cooler for a week was probably the best punishment that I could’ve asked for.”

“What are you going to do now?” Suki asked.

“I’m going to spend some time coming up with a more revised escape plan,” I replied.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Suki questioned.

“I don’t care if it is or isn’t. I know you have faith that your Loverboy is gonna come and bust you out and that you’re perfectly fine with waiting but I’m not. I’m not the kind of person to just sit by and wait for someone who may not even come,” I proclaimed.

“Fair enough,” Suki grumbled. “I just don’t want you getting hurt again.”

“Trust me, I’ll be able to handle whatever they can throw at me this time. I’m not just gonna sit back and take it. They’re gonna wish that they’d just left me to rot,” I said.

“Just don’t give them any reason to leave you to rot. I don’t know what I’d do without you here,” Suki admitted with a small smile.

“In that case, would you be willing to come with me for my next escape attempt?” I offered.

“How would that even work? Don’t you intend on using your firebending to escape? How would I be able go with that?” Suki wondered.

“I’ve been thinking of trying a more sneaky attempt, one that would involve getting out right from under their noses,” I whispered with a smirk.

“Do you intend to share what this plan is?” Suki asked.

“I will, once I’m sure that it will work and that it’s worth the risk for you,” I replied.

“Are you sure that you can’t just wait for a little while longer? I’m sure that Sokka will come here soon,” Suki said wistfully.

“I hate to break it to you, but there’s a very high chance that your Loverboy doesn’t even know that you’re here. Even if he does find out that you’re here, it could still probably take ages for him to show up. That’s not something that I want to wait for. I want to get out of here as quickly as I can,” I argued.

Suki sighed, “Okay, so you might have a point there. But just think carefully before you rush into anything. I want to get out of here just as much as you do, but I don’t want to take any unnecessary risks.”

“There won’t be any of that. When I come up with a plan, it will be the plan that gets both of us out of here,” I insisted.

“If you say so,” Suki murmured.

Although Suki may have seemed hesitant about my plans to escape, I knew that she would come with me if it meant getting out of here sooner rather than later. She was just holding on to the idea of her Loverboy showing up because she didn’t want to get in anymore trouble with the guards, and I couldn’t blame her for thinking like that. When my next escape plan was finally ready to be put into action, I would be sure to drag Suki along with me for the ride so that we could both get out of here together.

My freedom might seem like an unrealistic pipe dream, but I was determined to make that dream a reality. There was no way that I was just going to sit back and waste away in here when I knew that my destiny resided elsewhere, even though I wasn’t exactly sure where that was. Wherever it was, I knew that any place would be better than being locked up in a prison cell as I was mocked on the outside. No matter how many times I tried, I would make history and be the first person to escape from the boiling rock and in turn, destroy the Warden’s perfect record.

That night, I slept comfortably in my prison cell with the hope of escaping lingering on my mind. But those weren’t the only thoughts that interfered with my sleep.

~*•°•*~

_Usually, my dreams often turned into nightmares but this one was different. In fact, it was hardly like a dream at all since it was more like some bizarre vision that was trying to speak to me in some way. There was a faint whispering voice that was almost too difficult to distinguish at first, until it started becoming clearer to me._

_“Dragoness.”_

_“What?” I asked upon recognising my alias._

_“Find it.”_

_“Find what?” I repeated._

_“The Gem.”_

_“What in the name of Agni are you talking about?” I wondered._

_“Remember the Dragons. Remember the temples. Remember the secrets.”_

_My eyes widened as I realised what the voice was referring to. It had practically slipped my mind given what else I’ve been up to in the past few months. The voice was referring to the prophecy that I had discovered at the Sun Warriors civilisation. The prophecy on the Gem of Fire that was given to man by the dragons._

_“Why do you need me to find it?” I queried._

_“Because you are the only person with the knowledge and the experience to find the Gem’s identity. Not many can say that they have seen that prophecy, but you can.”_

_“How am I supposed to find the Gem when I’m locked in here?” I questioned._

_“This will give you time to think of the possibilities. The Gem could be anywhere and you have to find it before anyone else does. If the Gem lands in the wrong hands, it could lead to turmoil for everyone – including you.”_

_“So, let me get this straight. You or whatever you are want me to find the answer to a prophecy that I can barely remember when the answer to that prophecy could be anything?” I clarified._

_“Yes. You asked for your destiny and we are giving it to you. Find the Gem and protect it.”_

_“But I’d already found my destiny. I know what I’m supposed to do and finding your precious gem isn’t it,” I argued._

_“You stand mistaken. You are the first outsider to ever discover the prophecy of the Gem and there is a reason for that. That reason is because you need to find it and protect it. Keep it from harm and it will do the same for you.”_

_“You say that like it’s an object yet the prophecy made it seem like a person.”_

_“Truthfully, I am not aware of the Gems true identity but it very well could be an object or a person. You just need to find it and protect it before anyone else does. If there is anyone who can achieve this, it would be you.”_

_“I guess I have no choice then,” I muttered._

_“You do have a choice. You could just as easily abandon this task like you abandoned your country, but you are not the type of person to give up on anything easily, aren’t you?”_

_I narrowed my eyes at nothing in particular since I couldn’t actually see where the voice was coming from, “Using my pride against me, I see. I’ll do what I can.”_

_“That is all we ask.”_

_After that, I heard no more voices and was unsure of what I was supposed to do now. It didn’t seem like anything else was going to happen until a swarm of fog overwhelmed me, and I suddenly felt myself lunging backwards before jumping up with a fright._

Waking up as I jumped up in my dream, I immediately looked around to make sure that I was where I last remembered myself being which was in my cell. Luckily for me, I was. Once I realised that, I calmed myself down as I leaned back on my bed while mulling over what I had just been told.

Just when I thought that i had everything figured out, the universe decided to throw another spanner in the works to make things complicated for me once again. What made it even more frustrating was that I had been told to find the Gem while I was locked up in prison and could hardly do anything for myself. Part of me considered just forgetting about what they had told me and ignoring it, but then I never was the kind of person to back down from a challenge.

This dream, or vision, or whatever it was had only reignited the curiosity that had been sparked when I’d first discovered the prophecy of the Gem. Truthfully, it was something that I had only thought about for a few days after I had left the Sun Warriors civilisation before completely forgetting it since I had been otherwise occupied. The prophecy had even slipped past my mind but I suddenly found myself remembering it word for word, like I was reading it again for the first time.

_When the dragons gave fire to man, they gave him the prophecy of the Gem of Fire. The Gem would hold the elements of the world inside while possessing only one on the outside. Together it will unite the forces, so the universe may see that we’re all one as we can be._

Up until that point, I had never heard of the Gem of Fire before. Part of me thought that hardly anyone knew about it either, and that it was supposed to stay like that. After all, nobody was supposed to know that there were still dragons in existence. Taking what I’d just been told into consideration, I wasn’t even sure what exactly I was supposed to be looking for once I got the chance. The prophecy made the Gem seem like some kind of person, while the vision made it seem like it was some sort of object. Whatever it was, I figured that I would find that out when I found the Gem.

At this point in time, I wasn’t sure if I would be even able to find it considering my current circumstances, but once I got the chance to I would definitely go looking into it. The vision had made it seem like it was something of vital importance and that it could mean trouble for everyone if it fell into the wrong hands. That made me worried, since I wasn’t even sure if I was the right hands for it to be in, but whatever it was I was going to do whatever I could to protect it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter didn’t turn out how I originally planned it, since I couldn’t think of anything to end it how I originally planned so I added the bit with the Gem to give it a little more something. In case you forgot, the Gem of Fire was first mentioned in Chapter 40: Quest for Fire and I don’t think I’ve mentioned it since, so I figured that I might as well mention it now since it is something that’s going to be integral to Abby’s journey.


	61. Mission Impossible

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s hard to believe that this story is just a few chapters away from its completion and in my eyes there’s still so much that needs to happen. I’m really looking forward to the next few chapters but for now, here is the next chapter that takes place during the Puppetmaster which I’m sure Abby is glad to not be a part of.

Since my strange dream a few nights ago, I had decided to go back to meditating to hopefully get some peace of mind so I could think properly about everything. Meditation had never really been something that I liked doing, since I could never get myself to sit still and concentrate. But considering I hardly had anything else to think about, I figured that I might as well give it another go.

Using some scraps of paper that I had kept hidden in my shoes, I folded them into the shape of candles so that I could secretly light some fire on them for my meditation. This was one of the more basic firebending lessons that were taught, since breathing was integral to firebending and meditation taught you to control your breathing. Sitting in a meditative stance with my arms laced together over my lap, I breathed in and out as I kept my focus on what I was doing.

Focus was something that I liked to think I had when I needed it. Otherwise, I always tended to be off wondering about more than one thing at once even if they were completely unrelated. By meditating, I was hoping to put my mind at ease so that everything would become clearer to me since right now everything just felt like a jumbled mess and I didn’t know what to make of it. At one point it felt like a huge gust of wind had swept past me so I opened my eyes to see what was going on, only to see none other than Saori before my eyes.

“Um, hey…” I trailed off awkwardly.

Saori smiled at me, **“It is nice to see that you are no longer down on yourself. It is also good to see that you’ve figured out how to contact me.”**

“What do you mean?” I asked, unsure of how I’d contacted her.

 **“When you close your mind of everything in your life, you open it up to the possibilities of beyond. By contemplating on your life you have summoned me before you,”** Saori replied.

“I guess that makes sense,” I murmured.

 **“You still don’t understand, don’t you?”** Saori chuckled.

“Not really, no,” I admitted. There were a lot of things about Saori that I didn’t understand. Part of me felt that this was one of those things where the less I knew, the better it was.

 **“Is there anything that I can do for you now?”** Saori inquired.

“Actually, yes. I had some sort of… vision the other night that told me to find the Gem of Fire. I’ve seen the prophecy before, but that’s all I really know about it. Is there anything that you could say to help me?” I wondered.

 **“Ah, the Gem of Fire. An ancient prophecy older than firebending itself. The dragons knew it before they gave fire to man along with the prophecy. Nobody has ever quite managed to decipher its true meaning, since it could very well be referring to an object or a human,”** Saori explained.

“How am I supposed to find it then?” I questioned.

 **“That is where things will get tricky. There have been numerous people who studied the prophecy, most of which believe that it all comes down to what happened on the day the prophecy was given,”** Saori answered.

I narrowed my eyes, “What do you mean?”

 **“On the day that the prophecy was given to mankind was the exact same day that man first learned fire from the dragons. This was on the Year of the Tiger where the dragons first taught firebending to those who eventually became the Sun Warriors after previously teaching the first Avatar. They were the first ones to see the prophecy underneath the sky on the first day of the sixth month for this year,”** Saori began.

“Yeah, yeah. I already know that it was given to man when they first learned firebending from the dragons. Get to the important stuff,” I said impatiently.

Saori gave me an unimpressed glare as she continued, “ **On this night, all three signs of fire were seen in the sky. It is under my understanding that such an event like this has occurred once again. I’m afraid I cannot give you an exact date on this phenomenon, but I can say that in order for you to be able to find it, this date would have to have occurred in recent times.”**

“But you’re a spirit,” I argued. “Can’t you like, go back in time and see when this all happened?”

 **“You like many humans have very little understanding of our capabilities. We might be able to integrate ourselves into your world and change our form at will, but we cannot go into the past or future. All we can see is the time in which we were apart of your world,”** Saori answered.

“What about your spirit friends? Shouldn’t they be able to tell you when this happened and who you’re supposed to find? Why do I have to do all the work?” I asked.

 **“This is not as simple as you might think it is, Abby. The Gem has be dormant for millennia’s and only fire spirits like myself have been able to sense its presence because it’s among you and connected to us because of our element. We just do not know who or what it has taken the form of,”** Saori replied.

“So basically this is going to be like looking for a needle in a haystack? Great,” I remarked.

 **“While this task might already seem futile, if there is anyone who can find the Gem it would be you. You have the right mind to find the Gem and do the right thing with it. As you already know, in the wrong hands the Gem could cause chaos and devastation. For all you know, you could’ve already come across the Gem in your travels,”** Saori told me.

I sighed in resignation, “The spirits better appreciate me for what I’m going to do for them.

Saori smiled, **“We already do appreciate you for what you have done, Abby. If you are to succeed in finding the Gem, we will be eternally grateful for everything that you have done.”**

In saying that, Saori gave me one last nod before ascending up into the air and through the roof of my cell. After getting what I had got from her visit, I figured that the meditation had certainly paid off in ways that I didn’t think it would. All I had expected to get was maybe a clearer mind and a sense of direction when what I actually got was information that only made my mind even more frazzled than what it was.

Based on what Saori had told me, it was clear that everything in relation to the Gem was very specific. My mind was already going nuts over the possibilities, but I assumed that whenever the Gem came into action, it was on a specific day when something happened to the sky like when the prophecy was given. Since I was currently locked away in prison, it wasn’t like I could do anything to find out when this all happened, but I had already made it my mission to find out when this was as soon as I got out of here.

Speaking of which, I now had yet another escape plan that I intended to put into action sooner rather than later. This one would be a lot more ambitious than my previous one and it would allow Suki to get out with me as well, if she agreed to it. Then we’d both be free like we deserved instead of rotting away in a prison that we certainly didn’t belong in.

~*•°•*~

With my new escape plan in mind, the first thing I did on my next exercise hour was go to find Suki and hopefully convince her to join me. As much as she seemed convinced that her Loverboy was coming to rescue her, I could sense the doubt in her eyes whenever I brought up a valid argument against it. Despite her confidence on the outside, I knew that Suki was a rationale person and that her hopeful rescue was the only thing that was giving her hope. If I could get us both out of here, I could only imagine what that hope would be like. She probably wouldn’t even be able to contain herself.

Like always, I found Suki in her regular spot as she shovelled through the coal and took it to the side. You’d think that being an outsider that Suki wouldn’t care at all how this place was, yet she was one of the most hard working people here. Everyone else seemed to use the exercise hour for nothing. For Suki and I, this was our only chance to actually do something instead of sitting around doing nothing, which we both hated doing.

“So, what is it that you want to talk to me about?” Suki asked once I took her to the side.

“My escape plan. I’ve figured out what I need to do and how I need to do it,” I replied.

“That’s good then, I guess,” Suki murmured.

“This plan could also include you. If you want in, that is,” I offered, noticing how Suki hesitated on thinking. “I know you have faith in your Loverboy, but you have to remember that he probably doesn’t even know where you are. Sure, he might know that Azula has you somewhere but he most likely doesn’t know that you’re here. This could be your only chance to get out of here.”

“Why do you even want me to come with you?” Suki queried. “You seem like the kind of person that doesn’t like having anything else to carry and I don’t want to get in the way for you.”

I scoffed, “Are you seriously implying that you’re excess baggage? Ninja, you’re one of the toughest chicks that I’ve ever met. There’s a reason I call you Ninja for Agni’s sake. I wouldn’t want anyone doing this with me but you.”

“I’ll see what I think about this escape plan of yours first before I give you my decision,” Suki conceded.

“Fair enough,” I agreed before going into great deal on how we would escape from here.

The more I went into my plan, the more I seemed to be convincing Suki that we could pull this off. Her apparent confidence gave me even more confidence, since you couldn’t help but appreciate getting positive feedback on any idea that was yours. Once I finished explaining the plan, Suki sat there in silence as I let her think over what she wanted to do. I wasn’t going to lie, I really wanted her to say yes since I didn’t want to leave her behind in here while I was out with my freedom when we both deserved it.

“I’ve made my decision,” Suki proclaimed. “I’ll go with you.”

I smirked, “Great. It’s always fun to have a partner in crime.”

“But I do have one question, how are we going to make this happen?” Suki asked.

“You see this here?” I gestured to my elbow.

“It’s your elbow?” Suki replied in confusion.

I shook my head, “Yes, but more importantly, it’s a nerve. Your nerves are the most sensitive part of your body. It is these nerves that are connected to your chi which you can disrupt on someone else to render them unconscious.”

“You mean you can knock someone out with just a simple press on the nerves?” Suki clarified.

“Exactly,” I smirked. “It’s a pretty easy technique that comes in handy for self-defence. But I like using it just for fun. It’s something very specific though, so you have to touch the right part of the elbow and add transverse pressure in order for it to be effective.”

“But you’ll be doing it, right?” Suki asked.

“Yes, I’ll be the one to knock them out. You’ll be on watch to make sure that nobody else comes by. For us to get away with this part, nobody else can see what we’re doing,” I said.

“As crazy as this plan is, it might actually work,” Suki chuckled.

“We can either do it tonight or tomorrow when we’re both out and the guards are doing their morning patrols. That’ll be our best chance at getting someone,” I suggested.

“Let’s do it tomorrow morning. At least then I can get some rest to prepare myself for what we’re going to do,” Suki replied.

“Then it’s settled,” I nodded. “Tomorrow, you and I are getting the hell out of here.

“I can’t wait,” Suki smiled.

Now that I had Suki on my side, I was looking forward to getting out of here more than ever. When tomorrow came about, we’d be putting this plan into action and hopefully kissing goodbye to this rotten place. I’d spent ninety-five days in here and I wasn’t planning on reaching one hundred. If anything, I was planning on getting out of here before then with Suki by my side. We were going to show these people why you shouldn’t mess with two determined chicks.

~*•°•*~

On my ninety-sixth day at the Boiling Rock, I awoke with a smile on my face. It was time to put my escape plan into action. When I was allowed out of my cell for my morning orders, I made sure to sneak off to where Suki and I had agreed to meet each other before we put this plan into action. I’d given her ten minutes to show up, so if she wasn’t here before then I would be doing this without her, which I didn’t want to do.

Part of me expected her to chicken out at the last minute, but I didn’t think that Suki was the ‘chickening out type.’ She struck me as the kind of person that saw to it with their word, even if they didn’t want to. So when I spotted Suki nervously approaching me from the distance, I smirked to myself upon realising that I was right about my assessment of her.

“You’re here,” I stated.

“For a moment I considered not coming,” Suki admitted.

“But then you didn’t because you said you would be here,” I finished.

“Pretty much,” Suki chuckled. “So, what do we do now?”

“We have to wait for one of the guards to show up. They’ll come down this area eventually. We just have to make sure that they’re alone and that we’re not spotted,” I replied.

“Let’s do this,” Suki murmured.

Knowing what we needed to do, we both went off to a more hidden area where we wouldn’t be spotted by any of the guards. For a while, we just sat there and waited as nobody seemed to be approaching the area solo. We couldn’t risk attacking two people at once since that would’ve caused a commotion and possibly exposed our plan, which we couldn’t risk happening. Then all of this would’ve been for nothing.

After what felt like forever, we finally noticed a female guard approaching on her own. She didn’t appear to be all that focused on her surroundings, which made approaching her that much easier. Carefully, I approached her from behind and when the moment was right, I made my move that alerted her of my presence.

“Just what do you think you’re doing?” she demanded.

“This,” I replied before reaching my arm out and grabbing hold of her elbow in the right spot before adding transverse pressure, causing her to get knocked out and fall to the ground unconscious.

“Wow,” Suki muttered as she approached me. “I didn’t think that would work.”

“That’s phase one completed,” I said as I dragged the guards arms while Suki pulled her towards me. “I’d say I’m sorry but I’m not really.”

“I’ll give you a chance to get changed while keeping watch,” Suki stated.

Nodding, I finished dragging the guard to somewhere more remote so that I could undress her and take her clothes. Stripping the guard of her clothes left me feeling so uncomfortable, since it brought back memories of my… rape which still haunted me to this day. Everything else I had learned to deal with, but the rape was just something that still plagued my mind. It was something that I didn’t think I’d ever truly recover from.

Once I’d gotten her clothes off, I swapped my raggedy prison garb for her armour. Since I at least had some dignity in me, I redressed the guard in my prison clothes so that she wouldn’t be found in a humiliating position. Looking down at my newly acquired prison outfit, I couldn’t help but wince upon seeing how _revealing_ the female outfit was. Mostly because it completely exposed my scar, which had barely started to heal and I doubted that it ever would properly heal.

“You can do this,” I whispered to myself.

Glancing down at my pants, I noticed how loosely these fitted me which made me realise just how much weight I’d lost since being here. Over ninety days of minimal food does that to you. Thinking quickly, I pulled the pants up so that they covered my scar since that would probably tell anyone who I was if they knew what had happened to me. Once I was fully ready, I turned back around to check on Suki only to see her dragging another unconscious guard towards me.

“Um… what?” I spluttered in surprise.

Suki looked up at me, “You were taking too long and I saw an opportunity, so I took it.”

“You even knocked her out on your first go. Impressive,” I observed.

Suki grimaced, “Actually, she put up a bit of a fight and almost exposed me so I had to knock her out another way.”

“Well, go get ready. I’ll keep watch,” I hissed.

Quicker than I did, Suki managed to change out of her prison uniform and swap it for the guards. When she approached me again, I could immediately tell just how uncomfortable she was in those clothes. My guess was either because she felt exposed or because it wasn’t her Earth Kingdom colours that she was probably used to wearing.

“Why are the female outfits so… tacky?” Suki asked.

I shrugged, “Maybe they think this will distract the opposition.”

“Yeah, like my bellybutton could do that much damage,” Suki remarked.

“Let’s just keep going. We’re lucky our absence hasn’t been noticed so far,” I said.

Together, Suki and I walked through the prison halls as we tried finding what we were looking for. To be exact, that was the entry to the gondolas. Once we were there, we’d board them like any other guards would and get across this island together. Then we’d commandeer one of the boats or jet skis that they’d have on standby and get the hell out of this place. As crazy as the plan seemed, it had every possibility of working as long as we played our part as prison guards to perfection.

“Hey, you two. What are you doing down here?” a voice called out to us.

Stopping in our tracks, I looked down at Suki and could see the fear in her eyes. Slightly turning my head, I let out a sigh of relief upon just realising that it was a guard on their own which we could use to our advantage.

“Just let me handle this. Don’t talk unless he talks to you,” I whispered to Suki before turning fully to the guard. “What’s it to you?”

“Only certain guards are allowed to patrol specific areas. I don’t remember seeing you two patrol around here before,” the guard said.

“We’re just making our way to the north side of the prison,” I replied, since it was true because that was where the gondolas where located. “We’ve been ordered to transfer back to the homeland.”

“Is that so?” the guard asked, leaning towards Suki.

“Yes, it is,” Suki replied shakily.

The guard scoffed, “Figures that they’d do this to us now, with the eclipse only days away. That’ll leave us even more short staffed. I should complain to the Warden about this.”

My eyes widened at the mention of the eclipse, “We’re not entirely sure why we’ve been recalled. We were just ordered to get our butts back to the homeland ASAP. We wouldn’t know about the eclipse since we haven’t been told when it is.”

“Seriously? Every guard was supposed to have been informed that the eclipse is taking place on the first day of the eighth month. That’s only four days away counting today,” the guard revealed.

“Well, thank you for that information,” I said sincerely, since it was just what I needed. “We’ll just be going on our way now.”

Now that I knew when the day of the eclipse was, I could start planning on what I could do for that occasion. My options were to either just hide away from anyone or join whatever invasion force Suki said would be taking place. That was if we managed to get out of this place.

“It’s in four days. The invasion is in four days,” Suki repeated.

“I know. We’ll talk more about it once we get out of here,” I said.

The closer we seemed to get to the gondolas, the more confident I felt. It was the complete opposite with Suki, since I could see the nerves coming off from her as she tightly gripped onto me. The possibility of finally escaping only seemed to be getting closer and closer.

That was, until we heard the alarms going off and the Wardens booming voice over the intercom.

“Attention everyone!” we heard the Warden’s booming voice through the intercom. “Two high level security prisoners have escaped! One is approximately five and a half feet tall with auburn hair and blue eyes while the other is just below five feet with blonde hair and mixture of blue and ember eyes. They’re possibly together pretending to be guards and both are skilled fighters so approach with caution. If found, return them to their cells _immediately_. This entire prison is on lockdown now! Everything must be completely secure!”

“So much for pulling this off,” I muttered.

“What do we do now?” Suki asked, panicked.

“We hide,” I replied.

On that note, I grabbed Suki’s hand and dragged her somewhere we’d be hopefully safe. Maybe if we played this smart enough, we could hide long enough for the lockdown to be over and then make our ways to the gondolas. There was no way I was going to risk getting Suki or myself caught because of some escape attempt that should’ve worked flawlessly.

Our escape attempt seemed to have set the prison into a frenzy as we managed to blend in with the prisoners being ushered back into their cells. Blending in seemed like the smart thing to do, but we could only blend in with every guard on the lookout for us for so long. Eventually, we managed to reach somewhat of an empty corridor that seemed like the perfect spot to hide in. Just when I thought we were in the clear, the sound of footsteps could be heard before we found ourselves cornered by several guards with no way out.

“We got em!” one of the guards yelled.

“Well, well, well,” we heard the Warden’s voice as he revealed himself to us. “Look what we have here.”

“I’m sorry, please don’t hurt us,” Suki begged.

“No, leave her out of this. This was all my idea. I just dragged her along,” I insisted, not wanting Suki to get in trouble because of me.

The Warden scoffed, “Do you really expect me to believe that? I’ve seen you two together, I’m not stupid like you might think.”

“You certainly look it,” I remarked.

“Guards, take them away. Make them regret their choices,” the Warden said.

On his command, we were seized by the guards and taken off in separate directions. As we were, I gave Suki one last look of regret as I saw the fear on her face while she was taken away. Sure, she might’ve felt the wrath of the prison guards before but this would be unlike any other time. The regret came from the fact that this had been my plan, something that I should’ve just taken on my own instead of bringing Suki down with me.

As the guards dragged me away, I bowed my head in shame at my failure. No matter how hard I had tried, I couldn’t seem to get past my failures. Everything that had happened since my failure at Azula’s hands had blown up in my face, and this was just another one to add to the list. No matter how hard refused to believe that I was failure, I couldn’t deny the amount of failures that I had to my name. All I could do now was just hope that at some point my failures would eventually turn into a success.

Because I wasn’t sure of how many failures I could stomach before it became too much for me to handle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If there’s anything that this chapter shows is that Abby doesn’t know when to quit, doesn’t she? Which is why she probably won’t quit looking for the Gem even though she doesn’t want to. The stuff on the Gem is mostly stuff that I pulled out of nowhere but at the same time, it’s somewhat canon.   
> There was some research put into this chapter where I found out that the battle with Raava and Vaatu with Wan took place in 9,829 BG in the Year of the Ox according to Avatar Wikia, which would then be followed by the Year of the Tiger. Since the Lion Turtles stopped giving people the ability to bend after Wan became the Avatar, I figured that people would’ve had to have start seeking the elements elsewhere before learning them from the animals.   
> The thing with birthdays in Avatar really confuses me since according to Zuko’s Wikia, he was born in 83 AG but was said to be sixteen the entire time of the series. Since its now 100 AG Abby was born in 84 AG in the Year of the Dragon, right before Azula who was born in the Year of the Snake according to her Avatar Wikia. It’s funny because I was also born in the Year of the Dragon, which makes me think that’s where my fascination with dragons comes from, lol.


	62. Not Giving Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s funny how this story now has more chapters than Avatar has episodes, lol. When I was writing the last chapter that I realised that I needed to change a few things with the outline that I had planned. Due to the timeframe that takes place in Avatar, I’ve had to do some rearranging with what was supposed to happen which explains the shortness of this chapter. There will be a part of the chapter that takes place outside of Abby’s perspective, just like there’s a flashback that shouldn’t be hard to distinguish. This chapter takes place during Nightmares and Daydreams.

Have you ever wondered what failure felt like? Did you ever wonder what it would feel like to constantly fail time after time after time? Let me tell you one thing now, it sucks. Failure sucks. In the past few months, I have grown very accustomed to failure and to be honest with you, I can’t remember the last time that I succeeded in something that threw myself into wholeheartedly. These past few months have been filled with failure and I’m honestly sick and tired of it.

All I could think about as I laid in my newly acquired room was that I had _failed_. Failed at capturing the Avatar. Failed at protecting myself from Azula. Failed at getting myself out of this place. And above everything, failed at life. As much as I hated thinking about my failures, it was hard not to sit back and think about everything that I’d let myself down in. That seemed to be a new favourite past time of mine, thinking about everything that I had failed at.

Since my most recent failure, I had been sent to isolation as punishment for my actions. If this was my punishment, I could only imagine what Suki would be going through considering her status as an outsider. Unlike her first punishment, I doubted that she would just be thrown into the cooler. Knowing that I would be responsible for anything to happen to Suki since I was the one who dragged her into this plan made me feel even worse. Out of everyone, Suki didn’t deserve to be treated like dirt. She deserved so much better than this.

Considering this wasn’t the first time that I had acted out of order, I knew that my punishment was going to be so much worse. Unlike all of the other times I was left at the mercy of these people, I was ready to face whatever they had to give me. So, when the Warden entered my cell with his stern stare, I returned it in the exact sentiment just to hopefully piss him off even more.

“You really don’t know when to listen, do you?” the Warden asked.

“I listen to people when I want to,” I shrugged.

“An attitude like that doesn’t get you anywhere in this place. In fact, I’d say its about time that we gave you a change of attitude. Maybe then you’d think twice before you acted on impulse,” the Warden said.

“Give it to me. Give me everything you’ve got and I’ll take it and spit it right back at you,” I snarled.

“You think that you’re so worthy of everything and that everyone should just bow down to you, don’t you?” the Warden snarled.

“It would be nice to be appreciated for once,” I remarked.

“Well, you don’t deserve to be appreciated. Unlike my niece, of course. She gets the highest form of appreciation that she deserves,” the Warden boasted.

“You make your niece sound like a stuck up brat,” I scoffed.

“I wouldn’t call Mai that since she never wanted the attention that she deserved,” the Warden admitted.

My eyes almost bulged out of my head, “Moody is your niece?”

“Don’t talk about my niece like that!” the Warden roared. “She is the epitome of the best Fire Nation noblewomen. It’s a shame that you couldn’t maintain your post after you were brought into our world by Daisuke after everything he did for you and you repaid him the way you did.”

I glared at him, “I owe Daisuke _nothing_. He is nothing but an overbearing dictator who will hopefully get what’s coming to him, just like you and everyone else in this rotten place will.”

“We’ll see,” the Warden growled.

Seeing the frustration on the Warden’s face was enough satisfaction to me. It always gave me great pride knowing that I had that much influence on these people, even though I really shouldn’t. After all, I was just a lousy prisoner so why should I have such an effect on them anyways?

When the Warden did eventually return, he came back with several other guards and positioned himself somewhere he’d be able to watch everything happen. Then, he handed over everything to them and allowed them to do whatever they wanted with me. I’ll be honest and say that when they went to remove my clothing, I almost lost it then and there. But I got a little bit of reassurance when they just stopped at my shirt before tying me up against the wall.

Any reassurance that I had was short lived when I felt the excruciating pain across my back. It didn’t take me long to realise that I was being whipped quite severely as I felt the pain from the rope. It certainly didn’t help that I still had old scars there from previous incidents that only made it even worse. So that I didn’t give them the satisfaction of my screaming, I bit my lip on full force so that I wouldn’t scream. My bite was so harsh that it even drew blood from my lip, but I didn’t care. I’d do anything so that I wouldn’t scream.

They seemed to grow tired of whipping me pretty quickly which lead to them resorting to just punching and kicking me, leaving me with plenty of new bruises to add to my collection. Part of me was then glad to be left in isolation, since I at least wouldn’t have to let everyone see what they had done to me. In my perspective, nothing was more humiliating than showing off what somebody else did to you since its basically showing your weakness to everyone.

If these circumstances were any different than what they were, there was no way that I would just be letting them do this to me. But unfortunately, I was in no place to fight back since it would only make my situation even worse. Since they already knew that I was a tough nut to crack, I feared that they might even use Suki against me in order to get me to do whatever I want. If it came down to me sacrificing myself so that Suki wouldn’t have to suffer, I’d take that option in a heartbeat.

With me locked away in isolation and having no idea what was going on outside, all I could do was just sit back and take what was given to me. It had been made clear to me very early on that no matter what I did that they wouldn’t kill me. All they could do was try and make my life as miserable as possible and I’d be forced to endure it. But hey, I’d managed to get through it so far so what else could they throw at me?

~*•°•*~

Away from Abby’s suffering, Suki was left on her own to fend for herself. If she was being completely honest, Suki didn’t know who she was more scared for out of Abby or herself. There was no doubt that Abby was probably being put through the wringer right now but Suki was yet to face whatever punishment they had install for her. For her own sake, Suki was hoping that she’d be able to handle whatever they had to throw at her.

Since their failed escape attempt, Suki had just been left to wait on her own in a new room instead of what she thought would happen. So when the door to the room she had found herself in opened, Suki was somewhat relieved so that she could just get this over with and be done with it. But when she saw who had walked into the room, Suki wished that they’d never come in.

Because standing in front of her was none other than the Fire Nation Princess.

“Hello, peasant. Never thought I’d see you again,” Azula acknowledged her. “But the Warden tells me you’ve been up to no good with an old friend of mine so I thought I’d come pop over and say hello.”

“Funny, with the way Abby talks about you it’s like you were anything _but_ friends,” Suki remarked.

“Oh, that’s nonsense. Abby and I go way back. We certainly have a long history together,” Azula drawled.

“Not a good one by the sound of it,” Suki commented.

“Whatever happened between Abby and I happened between Abby and I,” Azula dismissed with a wave of her hand. “Now, back to the reason I came here. How have you been?”

Suki looked at Azula as if she had grown a second head, “What?”

“How have you been?” Azula repeated.

“How have I been?” Suki spluttered. “I’m locked up in a prison and you have the nerve to ask me how I’m doing?”

“Would you rather me call you a dirt peasant?” Azula crossed her arms.

“Yes, I would actually,” Suki admitted, since she’d much rather Azula be a bitch to her than put up with her fake niceness.

“Fine,” Azula growled. “What were your intentions in escaping?”

“To escape,” Suki replied, as if it was obvious.

“Don’t give me that attitude!” Azula snapped.

“I mean, it should be obvious why I wanted to escape,” Suki pointed out.

“What I meant was what were you planning to do once you got out?” Azula clarified.

“To be honest, we were just winging the whole thing,” Suki admitted, since they were. Before they tried their escape attempt, Abby and Suki hadn’t made any solid plans on what they’d be doing once they escaped.

“Come on, you had to have some plan as to what you would do once you got out,” Azula said.

“I really didn’t,” Suki insisted.

Azula smirked, “Wait a minute, I know what you would do. You would meet up with the Avatar and his followers for the invasion.”

“I-invasion? W-what i-invasion?” Suki stuttered, trying not to give away anything away.

“You really don’t know how to lie, don’t you?” Azula chuckled. “You certainly gave it away by your reaction. It’s almost impossible to lie to me since I pride myself on being a people person.”

“How can you be a people person if people seem to hate you?” Suki asked.

“Don’t talk to me that way! I am the Princess of the Fire Nation and I deserve to be treated with respect!” Azula exclaimed.

“You’re _not_ my princess,” Suki proclaimed.

“I will be soon enough,” Azula smirked evilly. “In the meantime, I hope you enjoy knowing that while you’re in here, your little friends are about to walk into a trap and it’s all thanks to you.”

“What? How is this in anyway my fault?” Suki asked.

“Don’t you remember? We snuck into the Earth Kingdom dressed as _your_ people. While we were there, we discovered their plan to invade the Fire Nation on the Day of Black Sun. Your failure will be the Fire Nations greatest success as we humiliate the forces,” Azula boasted.

Suki paled, “Y-you don’t know that.”

“I know it’s going to happen. Now that the Earth Kingdom is under our control, there is no way that they can organise a big enough army to overthrow us. Any attempt that they make will be in vain and it will all be because of you. Any blood shed will fall on _your_ shoulders,” Azula smirked.

“That’s not true,” Suki declared. “They will win and when they do, Sokka will come for me so I can be free like I deserve.”

Azula scoffed, “Like that peasant will ever come for you. Whether you want to admit it or not, he has no idea where you are. He has no idea that you’re rotting away in here. Because of that, he will not come for you. Nobody will come for you and you will spend the rest of your life rotting away in here like you deserve.”

“I don’t deserve this. Nobody deserves this, especially Abby,” Suki added, hoping to get a reaction from Azula.

“If you say so,” Azula replied stoically. “I’ve wasted too much time here already so I’ll leave you here to rot with the guilt on your conscience.”

Once she said that, Azula turned around and left Suki sitting in her place feeling worse than she’d ever felt. As much as Suki wanted to deny what Azula had said, she couldn’t deny that there were some truth in her words. Because of her capture, the Fire Nation now knew about the invasion. What was supposed to be a secret is now the Fire Nation’s greatest advantage.

This had been the first time that Suki had seen Azula since her capture those few months ago. Up until now, the only contact that Suki had had with Azula was through Azula’s letters that were intended to break her spirits. None of them had been able to break her spirits, but this visit had. It had made Suki feel even more guilty knowing that because of what happened to her, Sokka’s plans were now in jeopardy.

What hurt the most was knowing that there was nothing she could do to warn them about the danger that they were about to walk into. Although one other thing that caught Suki’s attention was the fact that Azula had referred to them as the Avatar and his followers. Either Azula was just trying to play mind games with her or she didn’t believe that the Avatar was dead. Whatever it was, Suki was hoping more than anything that somehow, somewhere, Sokka and the others were okay.

~*•°•*~

Because I was in isolation, I had completely let it slip my mind on what very important day was just around the corner, with that day being the Day of Black Sun. Based on what I know, there is only one other day in recorded Fire Nation history where something like this occurred. It’s often referred to as the Darkest Day in Fire Nation history, since that really was what it was.

This phenomenon had last occurred on the nineteenth day of the seventh month in 35 AG. That was thirty-five years into the War, and up until then the Fire Nation had been practically invisible. However, a group of warriors had managed to find out about a Solar Eclipse that would render the Fire Nation powerless. Without any support, they had just raided Fire Nation cities that were left completely defenceless without any ways to protect themselves.

Following the raids, many cities had been left destroyed and numerous historical artefacts had been stolen. They were unable to reach the Capital City, so it had remained untouched by the raids although it had indeed been affected by them. Due to the severity of the raids, any information on that day had been taken away and anyone who had taken part of it had been imprisoned for their actions. Nowadays, any information on this day is scarce and only the highest of Fire Nation elite were allowed access to it. Obviously I had managed to come across this information by sneaking into the Dragonbone Catacombs when I was fourteen.

Knowing that the Day of Black Sun was just three days away and that it was possibly my best chance at escaping, I knew that I had to figure out some way of getting out of this place. Honestly, the easiest part about escaping would be having to deal with the guards outside of the room. My biggest challenge would be actually getting out of this place since I was fairly confident that I could handle any army of guards even without my bending.

So with very little time on my hands and not much else to do, I began plotting what would hopefully finally be my escape route. I’m no expert on solar eclipses, but I’m fairly certain that they’re only a few minutes long in time which should give me enough time to get to the gondolas. Then I would resort to my original plan of using my firebending to propel myself across the rope once the eclipse was over.

There was another problem in the fact that I had no idea when the eclipse would be specifically taking place on the day it was supposed to happen. As a firebender, I’d like to think that I was pretty in tune with all things related to firebending so I was hoping that I’d be able to sense when the eclipse began so that I’d know when to make my move. From there, it would just be to me to get the fuck out of this place.

Part of me would feel bad about leaving Suki behind, but I could always come back for her or get her Loverboy to come rescue her. Besides, Suki was a fairly capable fighter and I was positive that she’d be able to handle this on her own. There was a time when I didn’t think that any non-bender would be able to stand on their own without bending, but I have certainly had my pre-conceived ideas blown away in the past few months, even in the past few years.

As I saw when Saori showed me what could’ve been my alternative life, the first real time that I started to question the values that I had been brought up with was when I first started training with Master Piando. He had shown me just how powerful you could be without your bending to assist you and I greatly appreciate him for that. Without him, I wouldn’t be able to defend myself without my bending since the other training I did was mainly how to use physical force with your bending to deplete your body of any energy left.

Now that I knew what I knew now, I had managed to use everything that I’d been taught to my advantage to make me a better fighter, which it certainly had. Despite being a non-bender, Master Piando had the strength and power of any bending with his fighting which was almost exactly like firebending. If there was anything that I learned from him it was that you can’t just rely on one style of fighting, and that was a lesson that I’d never forget.

_It was the summer when I was eleven. After a lot of convincing, I had managed to get Daisuke to allow me to continue my teachings under Master Piando. At first, he had been reluctant about doing so but I argued that he was able to teach me ways that would be beneficial to my bending. Part of me thought that he just let me go to get some time away from me, since I knew he didn’t like me that much. He only liked me whenever I did something good._

_So far, I had come to realise that Master Piando was a far better teacher than Daisuke was. For starters, Master Piando didn’t yell at me if I did something wrong. All he did was encourage me to do better and show me the proper way to do it. It soon became apparent that that was a better way of teaching me instead of just being yelled at like Daisuke always did._

_“You’re putting too much weight onto your attacks. It’s not about the force you use, it’s about how you use the sword,” Piando corrected me._

_“I’m trying,” I grunted._

_“Think of it this way, it’s similar to firebending in which you must have a solid stance in order to perform it the way you have to,” Piando suggested._

_“How do you know so much about firebending?” I asked, since everything Piando had taught me somehow related to firebending and how you trained with it._

_“I’m a son of two firebending masters. They were teaching me what they knew before they even knew that I wasn’t a firebender,” Piando replied. Sometimes I forgot that Piando came from two renowned firebending masters, yet he ended up being a non-bender._

_“I wish that I’d had someone to teach me like that,” I mumbled. “Maybe then I wouldn’t have been as incompetent as I was when I started.”_

_“But you’re not incompetent. You are one of the most focused and driven people that I have ever trained. You have the kind of attitude that says you’ll do anything you put your mind to no matter the obstacles. That is an admirable trait to have,” Piando said._

_“I just want to be the best,” I proclaimed._

_“And you will be if you do what I tell you to do. In order to succeed at what you strive to achieve, you must be able to do it,” Piando insisted._

_I sighed, “Will you show me how to perform it correctly again? I learn better by memorising something before I attempt it.”_

_“Very well,” Piando conceded. “But pay attention to how I carry myself and how I use the sword as an extension of my arm.”_

_Nodding, I sat back and paid close attention once again to Piando’s movements. It never ceased to amaze me how graceful he could make something like that look, but he certainly knew how to move with the sword. Watching closely I could see that he never applied full force to any of his attacks, which was something the I always did. As weird as it was, I could just sit back and watch Piando perform his tricks for hours because of how graceful they were._

_When it came time for me to show what I had learned from his demonstration, I recited the movements exactly the same way he did, not missing a single beat as I did so. It soon hit me how easier it was to move around when you weren’t being so forceful with your movements, which was something that I had always done. Doing it the way Master Piando taught me felt so much better, and I was easily able to move about._

_“Well done,” Piando complimented me once I finished._

_I grinned, “I want to know more. Teach me to be a better fighter.”_

_“Your enthusiasm is appreciated,” Piando smiled._

_Enthusiasm was something that I carried with me whenever it came to something that I was genuinely passionate about. Sure, I was enthusiastic with my firebending training but that was just something that I needed to have for it. Whatever I felt for this was genuine, and I loved it so all I wanted was to get better._

Training with Piando had definitely given me a new lease on everything that I did. It was nice to be able to find something that I actually wanted to do instead of just being forced to do something that was just expected of me. I wasn’t so sure if it would be expected of me to try and escape again or not, but I didn’t care what they thought of my actions. What I did was going to be completely up to me and on my own accord.

Not even the pain on my back was going to be enough to stop me from trying what I wanted to achieve. Now that I had my drive back, there isn’t anything that I wouldn’t do to achieve what I wanted. There would be no more worrying about the consequences, since all that does is hold you back. Nothing could hold me back anymore, since if I was to be able to pull this grand escape off, I was going to need as much self-belief and empowerment as possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter didn’t exactly turn out how I initially planned it, since it had to go through a few changes before I came out with the finishing product. The bit with Azula was added last minute, but it was inspired by Azula saying that Suki used to mention Sokka all the time in the Day of Black Sun Part Two. As for the bit on the Darkest Day in Fire Nation History, I got the date from the Avatar Wikia but I made the rest up since it would’ve had to have been something bad like that for it to be referred to like that in such a way.


	63. Last Ditch Effort

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, I was thinking of putting majority of this chapter at the end of the last chapter before I decided against it since it would’ve been too long to write. If it isn’t obvious at all, this chapter takes place during the Day of Black Sun parts One and Two.

On the day before the eclipse was supposed to take place, I made sure to make it so that there wouldn’t be any reasons for the guards to take me away on this day. As far as I was aware, none of the guards knew that I was aware of what was supposed to take place on the first day of the eighth month. For me, that would mark my one hundredth day in this place. It had been my intentions to get out of here before I reached triple digits, but that had unfortunately not been the case.

However, I was hopefully about to make history and be the first person to ever escape from the Boiling Rock. Although it was a prison that had been built relatively late in the war under Fire Lord Ozai’s rule, nobody who had tried to escape had succeeded. There were stories about the many escape attempts of the Boiling Rock, like when one person tried sneaking through the cleaners. My next attempt was going to be the most daring one yet since there would be no complicated plan. I’d be going for broke because hey; third times the charm, right?

Funnily enough, I was hardly able to get the sleep that I needed on the day before the eclipse because I was practically bouncing with anticipation. All I wanted was for the eclipse to begin so I could make my attempt and just be done with it. Waiting had never been something that I was fond of, since my impatience often got the better of me and I always preferred to rush into anything, which was probably why majority of my plans never really worked out.

When the Day of Black Sun finally arrived, I awoke with a smile on my face for the first time in as long as I could remember. It had been a long time since I woke up, genuinely psyched about the day. The more that the day went on, I could feel my inner fire draining away from me and I knew that the eclipse was coming closer and it was almost time to put my plan into action.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t see how I could include Suki in this plan which meant that I would be leaving her behind. It was something that I’d hoped she’d understand, since she knew the opportunity that the Day of Black Sun presented me with. This was probably a once in a life time moment that I couldn’t pass up, especially when my freedom was on the line. Out of the two escape attempts that I’ve partaken in, this one was going to be the one that I threw myself into wholeheartedly.

Since I didn’t know what time specifically that the eclipse was taking place, all I could do was wait until the moment someone came into my cell and hopefully get the better of them so I could escape. My other option was to just use my firebending to break out right before the eclipse started, but since I didn’t know when that was I was waiting on someone coming in and giving me the opportunity to overwhelm them.

That opportunity came a few hours later, when I heard the doors opening and saw someone walking in. They quickly shut the door behind them before locking it behind them, which wouldn’t end up mattering since I planned on taking their keys and their cuffs. The nerves slowly started to grow inside of me, as I know that this was the moment that I had been waiting for. All I had to do was execute it perfectly and then I’d be home free at last.

“Today, we are going to keep you a bit more locked up. So if you could just stand still that would be appreciated,” the guard said as they approached me.

“Why? Afraid I’ll try and use the eclipse to escape?” I remarked.

Their eyes widened, “How’d you know –“

Before they could even finish whatever they were about to say, I lunged forward and smacked them right across the mouth. And I did it hard. This was what they got for leaving me in an open room like this instead of keeping me locked up behind barred doors. When the guard tried to recover, I knocked them down again with another smack and this time, they fell unconscious to the ground.

Smirking to myself in satisfaction, I swiped their keys and their cuffs to save me the trouble for later since I didn’t know when I’d be able to get what I needed again. Then I shuffled through the keys until I found the right ones to open the door. For a few moments, I just stood there and waited to see if anybody else would open the door. When the door remained shut, I figured that that was all I needed to open it and make a break for it. This was my opportunity to earn my freedom and I wasn’t going to leave anything to chance.

Almost immediately after I made a break from my cell, I heard loud sirens going off through the prison and I was somewhat stunned that my escape had been detected that easily. The eclipse still hadn’t started yet so I really need to find somewhere to keep myself undetected until it was safe for me to come out. But I had a feeling that every prison guard would be on the prowl for me when I once again heard the Warden’s voice echoing through the prison.

“Attention all prisoners and staffing, this prison is now on lockdown. A high level prisoner has escaped. They are approximately five foot tall with blonde hair and a mixture of blue and ember eyes. This prisoner is incredible dangerous and a threat to all of us so they must be captured _immediately_ and dealt with extreme prejudice.”

Even though he was just speaking through an intercom, I could tell that the Warden was yelling through it and was most likely raging wherever he was. There was no doubt in my body that he wouldn’t stop turning this prison upside down if it meant recapturing me and keeping his perfect record intact. But I had no intention of getting recaptured when all wanted was to break free and tear his perfect record to shreds.

If anyone was going to be the first person to escape from the Boiling Rock, it was going to be me.

~*•°•*~

When the eclipse started, I instantly felt it. I’m not sure how to describe it, but I instantly felt my inner fire leave my body. I knew that it wasn’t anything to do with my drive like it was before. After I tried firebending and nothing came out, I knew that it was time for me to make my way through this place and hopefully get myself out of here. Up until then, I had managed to keep myself hidden while still running from anything that might. Now it was time for me to get out and make my presence known to anyone who wanted to face me.

It was no surprise to me to see that I was met with a stack of guards who were undoubtedly furious at me for outsmarting them yet again. But outsmarting them could only get me so far, and I had to outmuscle them as well if I wanted to get out of here. So when I was facing off against an arm of ten guards, I wasted no time I engaging in contact with them, using my quick speed and strength to my advantage.

Without their firebending, they really stood no chance against a fighter like me as I was easily able to get the best of them while making a fool out of them as well, landing in one hit after another with ease. It was almost comedic whenever they tried to firebend, since the eclipse was well underway and you would’ve thought that they knew better than to firebend when they couldn’t. Any attempt at firebending was met with just a smile lot of smoke with hardly any power.

Knowing that I had everything to lose allowed me to really go for this opportunity. Never had I fought so hard in my life, even surprising myself with what I was able to do. At one point I was surrounded by five guards, all of whom that tried to apprehend me only for me to charge towards one of them and shove my hand in their face with such force that pushed them onto the ground. As I pushed the guard onto the ground, I spun myself around in the air, knocking several of them down in the process. It got me thinking that maybe if I’d stayed down the path of an evil bitch that I could’ve started a training camp for these people because they were almost making this too easy.

But I wasn’t going to get over-confident. Every time I seemed to get over-confident when it came to anything, it fell apart right before my very eyes. This time I was going to approach the situation with a completely open mind and not underestimate any of my opponents, no matter how much my ego seemed to get in the way. Just by doing that I found myself able to focus a lot better than I normally did, which was probably what was helping me fight the way that I was now.

“Do not let her get any further!” I heard the Warden’s voice yell from above.

Looking up, I could see the Warden glaring down at me a few floors up, which gave me a little more confidence since I knew that as long as I steered clear of the Warden that I should be able to make it out of this alright. It had been a few minutes since the eclipse first started, and I knew from what I read that eclipses were generally very short, which meant that I’d have to get to the gondolas now if I wanted to even stand a chance at getting out of here.

Up until now, I had just been fending off as many guards as possible, but that wasn’t an option for me anymore since I didn’t want to waste anymore time. So with that in mind, I continued fighting off the guards as they tried to apprehend me while heading towards where I thought the gondolas were located. As hard as they tried to take me down, I was almost no match for them as I didn’t hesitate when forced to use harsher actions. If they were willing to do it to me, than I had no problem doing it to them.

Chaos seemed to be going on around me, which only played to my advantage as everyone tried to get past each other in order to get to me. Out of all the times that I had been chased before in my life, never had I felt more wanted than I did right now. It was kind of ironic how this made my ego stronger, when you would’ve thought that I’d be scared out of my mind. But I wasn’t scared, because I’d been through too much to be scared of this.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I reached the location of where the gondolas were which became the first time that I got outside in days. Warmth instantly greeted me, and I carefully glanced up to see that the sun was still covered up by the moon. It was common knowledge that looking directly at the eclipse risked damaging your eyes, and I didn’t want to damage mine when I needed them right now. I wasn’t the only person who seemed to be concerned about their eyesight since all of the guards around me were wearing protective headgear.

“Stop right there!” one of them yelled.

“You’ll have to do that yourselves,” I growled.

They didn’t seem to appreciate my snarky comments, since that only made them more furious at me. That was just the kind of impact that I had on people, and I had to admit that it felt good knowing that I had that much influence over them. This time their attacks were more brutal and forceful, which made me fight that much hard just so that I could get the best of them. It was almost laughable at how they reacted to my fighting, since they basically appeared to be shocked that I could do what I did.

Step by step, I slowly reached closer to where the gondola was with my cuffs still in hand. They were something that I couldn’t let go of, since without the cuffs I wouldn’t be able to propel myself across the rope connected to the gondolas. With every bit of force that I could muster up, I forced myself through the crowds of guards that just seemed to be multiplying with one after another. But I was still standing strong and holding my ground. It was going to take a lot more than this to beat me.

Out of nowhere, I suddenly felt a jolt energy go through my body and I glanced behind me to see that the eclipse had ended, and that the sun was slowly beginning to reveal itself. Before any of the firebenders could realise this, I used my firebending to knock them away which quite apparently caught them by surprise. Using their shock to my advantage, I sped past them and when I was just mere inches away from the ledge, I thrusted my fists down and moved to propel myself into air, with freedom just barely in my grasp.

Any freedom that I could’ve had was lost, however, when I suddenly felt something jabbed into my neck which caused me to fall over and slide across the ground, narrowly avoiding falling over the edge. Everything around me suddenly started to feel blurry and I lost all feeling inside of me. I groaned as I recognised this sensation, since it wasn’t anything that came from a typical attack. It came from a Shirshu spit dart.

As I felt myself slip into unconsciousness, I berated myself for once again failing what should’ve been achievable. Freedom had been within my grasp, but like every other time, I had come so close yet so very far.

 ~*•°•*~

My eyes slowly fluttered open when I next regained consciousness. What hardly came as a surprise to me was that I found myself bound to a chair, leaving me with hardly any room to move myself. But I guess that was the point of this contraption anyways. What did surprise me was that the Warden was already in my presence, the anger obvious on his face.

“You really don’t know when to quit, do you?” the Warden seethed.

“I guess so,” I shrugged.

“Never before have I ever dealt with such a frustrating prisoner. I should have you executed on the spot for all of the trouble that you have caused!” the Warden growled.

“But you won’t,” I stated knowingly.

“You’re right, I won’t because unfortunately I have been given orders _not_ to kill you. But I can make your life a little more miserable. Starting with permanent isolation,” the Warden threatened.

My eyes widened. If I was put in isolation forever, then there would be no chance of me ever getting out of here and I would hardly have any power. In order for me to have power, I needed to be with the other prisoners. Isolation wasn’t a place where I wanted or needed to be. But I could tell that the Warden was serious about his threat, which meant that I’d have to convince him otherwise.

“Let’s not go down that path again,” I drawled.

“Why not?” the Warden questioned.

“Because, I’m still important to you. I know too much about this place to be kept away. All it would take is for me to tell the right person just what kind of prison you’re running here and things won’t be so good for you after that,” I stated.

“You _dare_ threaten me?” the Warden growled.

“I have a lot of nerve, remember?” I remarked.

“Indeed you do. What makes you think you have the power to influence what I decide to do?” the Warden demanded.

“Because I could ruin your life if you push me too hard. You send me to isolation, and I’ll air all of your dirty laundry. Everything that you’ve slid under the rug will become clear. Everyone will know what kind of person you are. However, if you allow me to keep the freedom that I have, I will keep quiet and I will behave,” I bargained.

“You sure know how to negotiate,” the Warden muttered.

“I had to learn something from Daisuke,” I said.

“Very well, I will allow you to go back outside within a few days’ time. After that, any slip up or misbehaviour will be met with cruel retribution. But in return, I want to know everything that you know about the outside world. It’s time I made you useful,” the Warden agreed.

“Fine, I accept your conditions,” I conceded.

“Excellent. For now, you will be left in here before you are allowed back outside. When you are, I’ll be watching you carefully,” the Warden proclaimed before leaving the room.

Once he left, I slumped down in my chair that my hands and legs were bound to. If there was one thing I hated doing, it was playing for someone else’s advantage like I had just done with the Warden. But if I was to survive in this place for who knows how long, I had no choice but to play along with his orders and act like the obedient prisoner that I certainly wasn’t. That was just what I had to make him think I was.

Unfortunately for me, this also meant that I’d have to hold back on any future escape plans and that the next time I did put one together, I had to be absolutely sure that it would work. Then again, I had been certain that this plan would work and it certainly didn’t. The next plan that I came up with would have to be absolutely, without a doubt full proof. And it would be. I’d just need more time to put it together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There goes another chapter. The length of these seems to only be decreasing as I go on, but don’t worry. The content will certainly be picking up in a few more chapters, which I cannot wait to write.


	64. Something to Fight For

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don’t you just love those chapters that you’re looking so forward to writing because it’s what you’ve been dying to get to ever since you knew it was going to happen? Well, this isn’t one of those chapters but the next one certainly is. I’ve skipped the Western Air Temple episode in this timeline so this chapter takes place during the Firebending Masters.

True to his word, the Warden kept me in isolation for a few more days while he tried to see if he could break me again, but to no avail. Every time he tried something, I just reminded him that I knew things he wouldn’t want other people knowing about. Now it almost seemed as though that the Warden was _afraid_ of me because of what I knew, which I definitely loved. If there was one thing that wouldn’t leave me in time, it was the satisfaction that manipulating people to your advantage gave you.

Even though it wasn’t that much power that I had over the Warden, I still had a certain degree of power over him that I made sure he remembered. There were definitely times when the sadistic part of me reared its ugly head and relished in seeing the man squirm when I played my manipulation tactics. You would’ve thought that a man like him wouldn’t allow himself to be manipulated by a teenager. But it was those manipulation techniques that saw me released from isolation a few days after my failed escape attempt.

The first thing I did when I got out was try and find out what had happened to Suki. To my relief, I’d heard that she’d been released from her punishment the day before. There was no denying the pang in my chest that I felt, knowing that I was responsible for putting Suki in the position that she had been in. Sure, she had agreed to come with me but she never would’ve done so if I hadn’t convinced her. Relief went through me when I found Suki outside, seemingly unharmed apart from a few cuts and bruises.

“Ninja,” I called out to her.

“Hey!” Suki exclaimed as she ran up to me. “I was so worried about you, especially when I heard that you tried escaping _again_.”

“Enough about me,” I dismissed her concern. “How are you doing? What did they do to you? If they touched you I swear to –“

“It’s okay,” Suki reassured me. “Everything you need to know about is right in front of you to see. They didn’t really do much to me apart form harassment. Other than that, I was left alone.”

I let out a sigh of relief, “Oh, that’s good. Listen, it was wrong of me to drag you into my stupid schemes. I realise now that I put you in at an even greater risk by doing so.”

“You don’t have to be sorry, it was worth a shot. Besides, if anyone should be feeling sorry it should be me,” Suki grumbled.

“Why?” I narrowed my eyes.

“We’re never going to get out of here. Not when the invasion plan was a total failure,” Suki said.

“What makes you say that?” I asked.

“Well, for starters, we haven’t been broken free yet even though it’s almost been a week since the eclipse. Secondly, we’ve hardly received a change in treatment that you’d think we’d get if it had been a success. And finally, I know for a fact that it was a complete and utter loss that is all my fault,” Suki replied.

“How would it be your fault?” I inquired.

“Because they _knew_. The Fire Nation knew about the eclipse long before anyone else could’ve. That blasted Fire Nation princess was probably one of the first people to know about it,” Suki snapped.

“Why would she be told anything about the eclipse if it was supposed to be kept a secret?” I wondered.

“Because she was told when she was under the disguise of the Kyoshi Warriors. That’s how she knew about the eclipse. So when she returned to the Fire Nation, Princess Azula made sure that everyone knew about it,” Suki explained.

“But then how do you know that?” I questioned.

Suki sighed, “She came to visit me.”

My eyes widened, “ _Azula_ came to visit _you_?”

“More like harass me, but yes, she did,” Suki nodded. “And she told me how she found out about the invasion plan and how any attempts at defeating them would be in vain. Then she declared that it would all be my fault, and because of my actions they would pay the price.”

“That bitch,” I hissed, suddenly feeling my hatred at Azula growing inside of me once again.

It was no surprise to me that Azula would take an opportunity like that to make someone feel more miserable than they already did, since that was just the kind of person that that sadistic bitch was. Unfortunately, I had also been like her before and I’m ashamed to say that I was. What infuriated me the most was how Azula had tried and succeeded to make Suki believe that it was her fault and then make her feel even worse than what she already did.

“Don’t let Azula get inside your head – that’s exactly what she wants,” I said.

“But she’s right. If it hadn’t been for me getting captured, Azula never would’ve been able to sneak into the Earth Kingdom capital masqueraded as the Kyoshi Warriors. Then she never would’ve found out their plan to invade the Fire Nation on the Day of Black Sun. It’s my fault that they failed,” Suki berated herself.

I gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze, unsure of how to approach this situation, “I’m sure that Azula would’ve found out anyways. Besides, the Fire Nation Capital City is one of the most secure places in the world so it would’ve been a struggle to get past their battlements, even on a bad day.”

“I appreciate the comfort but the fact of the matter is that my failure gave room for the Fire Nation’s success. That’s something that I can’t forget,” Suki murmured.

“You can’t blame yourself for that. They knew the risk that they were taking by going through with that mission if they did. Things might have been different if they had the Earth Kingdom’s armies but they didn’t. Honestly, it’s a risk that I don’t think I would’ve taken,” I admitted.

“Why’s that?” Suki asked.

“Because they would’ve just been invading the city and would’ve had to get through all of their guards and the citizens most likely would’ve created chaos. By the time the invasion force even reached the Royal Palace, they probably would’ve already evacuated the Fire Lord somewhere safe. They were only giving themselves such a short window of opportunity which clearly wasn’t worth it. So don’t beat yourself up over it,” I reasoned.

Suki sighed, “It’s just hard not to. This was their last chance to beat the Fire Lord before that comet arrives.”

“Whatever their next attempt will be, they’ll certainly be cutting it close,” I remarked.

“They’re probably taking the time to regroup now so that they can plan their next move. I just hope that they’re okay,” Suki murmured.

“They’ll be fine. Their strong for a group of kids,” I stated.

“Let’s just do some work to take our mind off of this. I could certainly use something to distract myself,” Suki suggested.

Nodding in agreement, I got up with Suki and then headed off to do our daily chores. Truthfully, I hadn’t thought about the outcome of the invasion since my failed escape attempt. But now I was wondering what really had happened and what the result had been for everyone involved. It was only a matter of time before news of the invasion reached the Boiling Rock, and I was going to make sure that I was the first to find out what the result had been.

Until then, I’d just have to keep my word to the Warden and keep my head down and stay out of trouble. As of now, I was travelling on thin ice with that man and I knew that any more actions out of order would result in severe punishment for me. Whether I liked it or not, I was going to have to act like the good little girl I certainly wasn’t so that they wouldn’t lock me up in isolation and take away the last freedom that I had.

The things that I did for myself around here really were pathetic.

~*•°•*~

Despite having managed to overcome everything that I have already managed to overcome, the one thing that I had failed to overcome was my nightmares. No matter how hard I tried, I could never get over them. There hadn’t been a single night that passed where I didn’t wake up tossing and turning after experiencing another night terror. It made sleeping very difficult, since I had quickly developed a habit of screaming in my sleep. That was something that often got me in a lot of trouble, since I got a lot of complaints telling me to stay quiet.

In a desperate attempt to keep myself quiet, I bit my mouth shut until I drifted to sleep. Sometimes I just kept my face pressed against my pillow, hoping that doing so would sound out my screams. It infuriated me that despite being fine on the outside, I was still tortured on the inside by the demons that refused to leave me. No matter how hard I tried to forget, I was constantly reminded of the past three months that would forever be remembered as the darkest moments of my life.

My worst nightmares often forced me to relieve the pain and suffering that I was forced to endure. Although it had taken me a long time to realise it, I now knew that nobody should have to go through that kind off treatment. That kind of experience is something that I wouldn’t even wish upon Azula, since even she doesn’t deserve to go through what I had to put up with. As painful and horrible as everything had been, I’m somewhat glad in a twisted way that I experienced this, because it’s given me a new perspective on everything.

I’ve come to realise that no matter where you come from that you should always treat everyone fairly, regardless of what social class they came from. That had been the hardest social obstacle for me to get over since I had always been taught that people who were considered below you didn’t deserve to be treated with respect. Only now I had come to realise that people who do treat others like dirt because of their social class are the worst kind of people, and that I had been one of them. Only now I wasn’t because I had learned things the hard way, and I didn’t want have to go through a learning experience like that ever again.

Sometimes I tried to keep my mind occupied by thinking about other people. It was easier to distract myself of the ever-persistent thoughts harassing my mind. Among those who I tried to think about, Osamu was one of them. He had such a tortured past, much like my own. He had been the first person who really had the nerve to tell me that what I knew was wrong.

_“But is this really what you want? Is this really the life that you want to lead? Are you really happy?”_

The truth was, I had never really been happy. I just went about my day-to-day life how I always did. Osamu had been the one who questioned my motives, but it had been Nukka who made me think about the world as a whole which in return made me realise that maybe the Fire Nation wasn’t all it was talked up to be.

_“It’s always baffled me how women aren’t viewed equally as man, especially in our own society since we’re from the same species. Women can be just as strong as male benders and fighters.”_

She had certainly been right in that statement, since some of my strongest opponents had been girls. There was Suki, the Avatars girl, Mai, Ty Lee and even Azula. Sure, I’d faced off against strong men but those girls knew how to fight just as well as any other guy that I’d fought. Dare I say, they’re probably the strongest fighters that I’ve ever faced. But then my views had been called into question again by a ten-year-old girl in the form of Xia. Her opinion had been short but to the point.

_“That’s not a good way to look at things.”_

Of course, that had been referring to my questionable outlook on life that Xia didn’t agree with. She thought I was too harsh and that I was wrong, which at the time, I didn’t appreciate being told by a ten-year-old. Xia certainly wasn’t the last child who questioned my opinions, since that irritating girl Emiko also had the nerve to question my motives.

_“Mommy says that people are usually mean to other people because people have been mean to them, so they don’t know how to treat others nicely.”_

At the time, I had reacted to that statement as if it was the stupidest thing that I had ever heard. But Emiko was right. I had treated people horribly because of how Daisuke had treated me which in return, made me believe that that was how you were supposed to treat others. Then Aika from the Underground Society helped make me realise that firebending isn’t just about anger, since she had been so determined to get me out of my induced slump.

_“I get that things might be different for you now, but you can still have that drive and determination to push yourself, just with a different purpose.”_

For as long as I had been taught, firebending had been something that was fuelled by anger. Even though I had originally learned the traditional way with breathing exercises, once I had control of that I was taught to firebend using my anger as a catalyst instead of my breathing. Now, I used the new drive that I had to fuel my inner fire, and it wasn’t something that I planned on letting go out anytime soon, no matter what anyone tried to do to me.

So with that in mind and taking everything that I had learned into consideration, I decided that now it was time for me to learn something else. And that was to learn how to not let my demons control my life. While it was starting small, it seemed like learning to get a good night sleep was a good place to start.

~*•°•*~

To my surprise, I managed to get a good night sleep for the first time in what was probably three months. Every night that I had spent here had been met with tossing and turning, but last night had been the most peaceful experience for me so far. Maybe that was a sign of good things to come, or that was just the universe finally giving me a break for once.

When it came time for me to do my kitchen duty, I followed the path that I always took. My routine around here had unfortunately become permanently etched into my brain, so I basically knew how to do everything around here. But I stopped right in my tracks when I overheard two guards talking. Normally I didn’t care about their pointless gossip, but when I heard the words invasion and eclipse, I knew that I had to listen to this.

“I’m honestly surprised that they still went ahead with the invasion since they didn’t have the Earth Kingdom’s army,” the first guard commented.

“I heard that they still managed to put together a pretty solid group with people from the other nations. They even managed to get to the Capital City before they were ambushed by the War Zeppelins,” the second one added.

Even though it hadn’t been for a good reason, I felt a small burst of pride upon hearing that something that had been my idea had been a success. Too bad it hadn’t been used for anything good.

“They had nothing to lose by attacking anyways, especially since the Avatar was alive after all,” the second one remarked.

“I almost didn’t believe it when I first heard it and I wouldn’t have if the Warden told me himself. No wonder the Prince turned traitor after he failed to kill the kid,” the second one said.

Shock went through me upon hearing those two sentences, since I had certainly just been given two surprising and unexpected truth bombs. The first one being that the Avatar _wasn’t_ dead and that now, Zuko had suddenly turned traitor.

“I heard that the Fire Lord is livid at his sons betrayal. He’s got a warrant out for his capture now,” the first guard stated.

“But did you hear this? Apparently the Prince betrayed his father to go and hook up with the Avatar and his gang,” the second guard revealed.

“Well, it’s not like the kid is gonna find anyone else to teach him firebending, even if it is from someone as lousy as the Prince,” the first guard commented.

Deciding that I had heard enough and that I didn’t want to get caught eavesdropping, I pulled myself away from the corner and headed towards the kitchens, eager to talk to Suki since I knew that she would want to hear this. This unexpected news would certainly bring a smile to her face.

“You’ll never guess what I just heard,” I said to Suki as I pulled her away from anyone that could overhear us.

“What?” Suki queried.

“You’ll be happy to know that your conscience can live freely. The Avatar isn’t dead,” I declared.

Suki gasped, “What? How? That’s what everyone’s been saying!”

“Well, I guess that’s what they wanted everyone to think because apparently he was there during the invasion on the Day of Black Sun. That means if the Avatar was there, there’s a chance that some of them got away safely,” I replied.

“I just can’t believe it,” Suki murmured in disbelief. “For weeks now I’ve been blaming myself for Aang’s death, but now that I know he’s alive it feels like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders.”

“You didn’t deserve to have that burden anyways,” I said. “There’s also more.”

“What?” Suki inquired.

“Apparently Prince Zuko has turned traitor to _help_ the Avatar. Now, that doesn’t sound like something that someone would do after they tried to kill the same person,” I answered.

“What is it with people and betraying the Fire Nation?” Suki wondered.

I shrugged, “I guess when you spend enough time there, you realise how awful it is.

Suki smiled, “You know what this means, right?”

“What?” I asked.

“That there’s still a chance. If Aang is still out there, I know that he’s going to give it another go so that they can defeat the Fire Lord and so that we can be free once and for all,” Suki proclaimed.

“That’s a lot of wishful thinking,” I said.

“It’s not wishful thinking. It’s something to fight for. Something to hope for. That’s what we’ve been looking for, and now we’ve finally got it,” Suki grinned.

“We’ll just have to hope that they’ve got something to fight for too,” I muttered.

The news of the Avatars survival seemed to be enough to bring Suki back to life, which I liked to see since seeing her all depressed was kind of annoying, which was probably what it was like putting up with me. But this unexpected news had also thrown me for a loop as well, since I wasn’t exactly sure what it would mean for me if the Avatar did manage to defeat Fire Lord Ozai.

Regardless of what the outcome was, I wasn’t going to let anything or anyone get in the way of my life again. If I did have to deal with the Avatar at some point, I wouldn’t waste my time in trying to justify myself to him. All I would do was prove that I wasn’t the same psychopathic bitch that chased them across the world. I’d do that with my actions since after all, actions speak louder than words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another short chapter but trust me when I say that the next few are going to bring this story back to life and I think you can guess why.


	65. Behind Enemy Lines

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With just ten chapters to go, this story is almost at its end. It’s great to see how far I’ve come with my writing, because this story was really the beginning of me becoming a real writer. With that being said, I have realised just how cringey some of the earlier chapters of this story are and how little they added to Abby’s character. So I’m highly considering going back and editing this story once I’ve completed writing it so that it can be finished at a standard that I am happy with. As for this chapter, it takes place during the Boiling Rock: Part One and will be written in third person so I hope that the anticipation was worth it.

If there was one thing that never changed about life at the Boiling Rock, it was that the guards constantly looked for any opportunity to belittle prisoners or get them in trouble. That was one thing that Abby had quickly realised in her time here after a few months in prison. For the most part, Abby tried staying out of trouble but trouble seemed to follow her wherever she went. The guards also seemed to take joy in picking on Chit Sang since he was considered the leader of the prisoners.

One of the typical bully guards had taken it upon himself to get his daily dose of bullying in and it was safe to say that Chit Sang wasn’t having any of it. Their little scuffle had managed to earn the attention of the rest of the prison yard who were all looking for something to do.

“Just what do you think you’re doing, Chit Sang?” the bully guard demanded.

“I didn’t do anything!” Chit Sang snapped as he went to walk away. “I’m going back to my cell.”

“Stop right there, Chit Sang,” the bully guard ordered as he whipped fire at Chit Sang.

Out of the corner of her eye, Abby noticed one of the guards who had come to join the commotion make a move to step forward. Except he seemed to be held back by one of the other guards which stopped him from moving forward. That was probably a smart decision on their part since it was never a good idea to get involved in any prison drama.

“I’ve had it with your unruly behaviour!” the bully guard yelled.

“What did I do?” Chit Sang asked with a bit of an attitude.

“He wants to know what he did. Isn’t that cute?” the bully guard asked two guards. When they didn’t respond, he gave them a look.

“Uh, very cute, sir,” one of them replied awkwardly.

“Super cute,” the other added in a voice that was obnoxiously familiar to Abby.

“You didn’t bow down when I walked by, Chit Sang!” the bully guard replied, causing Abby’s blood to boil. He really was using any excuse he could to put Chit Sang down when it wasn’t even valid.

“What? That’s not a prison rule,” Chit Sang retorted.

“Do it!” the bully guard demanded.

“Make me,” Chit Sang growled.

The bully guard walked away, but as he was leaving, he whipped fire at Chit Sang. In reaction to this, Chit Sang blocked it and redirected it at the guard. The bully guard broke the blast with a kick.

“Tsk, tsk,” the bully guard shook his head. “Firebending is prohibited. You’re going to the cooler.” He pointed at one of the guards. “You! Help me take him in!”

It took almost all of Abby’s self-control to not run up to the guard and rip his head off for the way he’d treated Chit Sang. The way he had acted was completely unfair and uncalled for because Chit Sang had actually been following the rules for once. It was hard getting away with anyone around here when you’re considered public enemy number one.

The yard alarm went off, signalling that their exercise time was over and that it was time for them to return to their cells. With her plan to stay out of trouble in mind, Abby intended to just sit back and stay cool, calm and collected. That was easier said than done but it was something that she had to do to keep herself safe.

Just another day at the Boiling Rock.

~*•°•*~

Lying in her cell, Suki had a lot to think about. She had been feeling a bit better about her chat with Abby the other day and no longer felt guilty about a situation that she couldn’t have controlled. Knowing that Aang was actually alive and not dead had filled Suki with more hope than ever. If Aang was still alive, then there was still a chance that they could win this war so that she and Abby could be free like they deserved.

Even though Abby seemed to firmly believe that Aang and the others would just leave her to rot, Suki preferred to think otherwise. If they could see that she had changed – which she had – then they would hopefully be willing to give her a second chance. Everyone deserves a second chance, after all. Her thoughts on Abby were interrupted when the door to her cell opened and a guard walked in, causing her to immediately sit up.

“What is it? Did I do something wrong?” Suki asked aggressively.

“You mean you don’t recognise me?” the guard crossed his arms.

“You people all look the same to me,” Suki averted her eyes as she spoke bitterly.

“Oh? Then maybe you’ll recognise this,” the guard said as he pursed his lips and attempted smooching sounds and leaned in to kiss Suki.

Disgusted at the thought of letting that happen to her, Suki grasped hold of his lips and violently shoved him against the door. When the guard landed against the door, his helmet flung off in the process and a familiar face looked bewildered to Suki. She’d know that face anywhere and just seeing it was enough to turn her angry expression around.

“Sokka!” Suki exclaimed as she ran up to him. “It’s you!”

For a split second, Sokka was still left bewildered as Suki hugged him before he returned the gesture. When he did reciprocate the hug, Suki rested her head on his shoulder and Sokka mellowed into the embrace, returning it in all honesty while closing his eyes. Just seeing Sokka was enough to elicit tears from Suki. He was here. He _had_ come for her, just like she said she would. Take _that_ Princess Azula.

“The other Kyoshi Warriors, are they here?” Sokka asked as they both stood up, not wanting to be apart from each other again.

“No. I don’t know where they are. They locked me in here because I’m the leader,” Suki replied.

“Well, you won’t be here for long. I’m busting you out,” Sokka placed his hand on her left cheek.

“I’m so glad to see you Sokka,” Suki placed her hand over Sokka’s on her face and closed her eyes. “I knew you’d come.”

The now-reunited couple gazed lovingly at each other and they released hands, placing them on the others arms. They leaned in to a kiss and Suki threw her arms around Sokka’s neck. With Sokka here, it changed everything. But then Suki realised they were potentially going to run into a big problem. If Sokka was serious about busting Suki out of here, then he’d have to accept Abby coming with them because there was no way that Suki was leaving her behind. Not after everything that they’d been through together.

Their kiss was cut short by a quick knock on the door and Sokka pulled away. When they heard voices from outside, the two shared a look of panic before crouching down on the floor in an effort not to be seen together. Even though Suki didn’t care that much about the rules here, she was fairly certain that voluntarily kissing the guards was against those rules and she hated to think about what could happen if they got caught.

“Listen, Sokka. There’s something you need to know,” Suki hissed, figuring that now was the best chance that she’d get to tell him about Abby being here before things got into a confrontation.

“Can’t it wait?” Sokka asked, panicked.

“It’s important,” Suki insisted.

Sokka sighed, “I’m sorry, but I can’t stay any longer. I have to get out of here before I get caught. If that happens then there’s no way I’ll be able to bust you out.”

Sighing, Suki sat back as she heard a loud commotion going on outside of her cell which gave Sokka the perfect chance to make his escape. Once Sokka was gone, Suki thumped her head against the hard prison wall that had kept her trapped for so long. But with Sokka here, it seemed as though her time in prison was finally coming to an end.

It was almost impossible for Suki to hide the excitement that she now felt at the possibility of escaping. Finally, she could get out of this place and feel free again. Only Suki wouldn’t be leaving on her own. Whether Sokka liked it or not, she’d be dragging Abby with them.

~*•°•*~

Like she did every other day, Abby headed towards the indoor quad for her daily chores. Things around the Boiling Rock had been a bit tense in the past day, and Abby had a feeling that something else was going on. The security had been increased and she had a feeling that it wasn’t just because of her presence alone. If it was then they would’ve increased the security the moment she got there.

As Abby headed towards the quad, she noticed a lot of the guards whispering amongst each other as they glanced down. Their attention seemed to be on one thing only, but Abby didn’t care about what they were worrying about. That was until her eyes landed on Suki and more specifically, who Suki was mopping with. At first, Abby thought that it was just some other prisoner. But when she got a closer look at them and saw the scar that stretched across their left eye, she knew exactly who it was.

Prince Zuko.

Surprise was all that Abby could register inside of her, since of all the people in the world, she never would’ve expected him to show up here. She then noticed how he was wearing the same prison garb as the rest of the prisoners, so Abby assumed that he was why they’d suddenly increased security around here. Based on what Abby had heard about Zuko from Suki, they had met before when he burned down her village. Figures that she would’ve met Zuko like that.

Before Abby could approach them to find out what the heck was going on, she saw a guard walking towards them. She recognised him as the same guard from the courtyard who had been called off to take Chit Sang to the cooler. But when he lifted his visor, Abby immediately realised that it wasn’t just any guard. It was one of the Avatars friends.

Okay, now Abby was _really_ confused.

What in the world was he doing in a Fire Nation prison of all places? What was he doing with Zuko of all people? But then Abby remembered how she’d heard that Zuko had abandoned the Fire Nation to join the Avatar and she figured that that was probably why they were here. Smirking to herself, Abby slowly walked towards them until she could hear their conversation.

“Oh, good, you guys have met,” the boy – Sokka, Abby remembered his name was, _not_ that ‘Water Tribe peasant’ who she previously referred to him as – said.

“Actually, we met a long time ago,” Suki murmured.

“We did?” Zuko asked and Abby noticed Sokka wince at that.

“Yeah, you kind of burned down my village,” Suki replied angrily.

“Oh, sorry about that,” Zuko apologised as he stopped mopping. “Nice to see you again.”

It was then that Abby decided to make her presence known, “Tsk, tsk. Burning down villages and killing people? Not exactly the best strategies for making friends, Prince Hothead. Then again, you were never the friendly type.”

Both Sokka and Zuko stared at Abby in complete and utter shock while Suki cringed at the awkwardness of the situation. She had hoped that she would’ve been able to tell Sokka about Abby before Abby found them. It looked like Abby had beaten her to it.

“You’re one to talk, you crazy firebender!” Sokka exclaimed.

Abby feigned being offended, “I prefer to think of the term _former_ crazy firebender, thank you very much.”

Suki sighed, “I guess now I don’t have to introduce you guys to each other.”

“What?” Sokka exclaimed, glancing at Suki with a horrified expression. “You guys know each other?”

“Well, this prison isn’t exactly small, Loverboy. Ninja and I have gotten to know each other very well in the time that we’ve been in each other’s company,” Abby smirked as she glanced at Suki. “Wouldn’t you say the same?”

“I would,” Suki smiled. “Listen, Sokka. I know how you must feel about Abby and I could understand why you might hate her but trust me when I say that she’s _changed_. She’s my friend.”

“You expect me to believe that girl who tried to kill us has suddenly changed? Even when we found out what had supposedly happened with her we didn’t believe it,” Sokka said.

“I’m not expecting you to bow down and kiss my feet even though it would be perfectly justified. I am expecting you to keep your mouth shut and bring me along for whatever ride you have planned. Otherwise I could just go to the Warden and let him know about the increase in his staff that I’m sure he doesn’t know about,” Abby threatened.

“There will be no need for threatening each other,” Suki put a hand on Abby’s shoulder. “Besides, Sokka. You’ve given _him_ a second chance after everything he’s done so who are you to deny Abby that same right?”

“She has a point,” Zuko grumbled, speaking up for the first time.

Sokka sighed, “Can I _really_ trust her? She’s not just gonna turn her back on us and try to kill us when she gets a chance?”

“If I wanted to kill you I would’ve done it by now,” Abby pointed out. “Trust me when I say that my murderous tendencies and my Avatar hunting days are over. I just want to get out of this wretched place.”

“You can trust her, Sokka. I trust her. My trust should be enough for you,” Suki insisted.

“You should listen to your girlfriend, Loverboy. She’s a smart girl and I’m sure you know better than to get on her bad side,” Abby said.

“Fine, she’s in,” Sokka conceded reluctantly.

“Isn’t this just fun? Us all together, working alongside each other? Where’s the rest of your little posse?” Abby questioned.

“Not here,” Sokka answered, avoiding her gaze.

“Do you have a plan?” Zuko asked Sokka, who gestured for them to follow him towards the staircase.

“So, listen, I think I have an escape plan,” Sokka said as they huddled under the staircase together. “I checked out the coolers again, and the point of them is to keep firebenders contained, right?”

“Yeah…” Zuko trailed off.

“So, they’re completely insulated and sealed to keep the cold in,” Sokka continued. “Well, to keep the cold in, it also has to keep the heat out, right?”

“I think I see where this is going,” Abby murmured, connecting the dots of what was possibly an escape plan while kicking herself for not thinking of it sooner.

“It’s a perfect boat for getting through the boiling water,” Sokka stated.

“The cooler as a boat? Are you sure?” Zuko questioned, sharing a worried glance with Suki.

“I’m telling you, it’ll work,” Sokka insisted. “I walked around the perimeter. There’s a blind spot between two guard towers. It’s the perfect launching point. I already tested it out. We’ll roll the cooler into the water and just float with the current. It’ll take us straight across. As long as we don’t make a sound, no one will notice. And bing-bang-boom, we’re home free.”

“Not bad of a plan,” Abby grumbled, bitter that she hadn’t thought of it herself.

Sokka smirked at her, “Bet your smartass didn’t think of something like that, huh?”

“I prefer to take a more direct approach with my escape attempts,” Abby snapped. Unlike Sokka’s idea, Abby’s had been incredibly ambitious and taken without risk whereas his plan was a lot more on the safe side.

“But how are you going to get the cooler out?” Suki asked.

“Yeah, how are you going to get the cooler out?” Chit Sang asked from the staircase before jumping down.

“What? We didn’t… w-we didn’t say that,” Sokka spluttered as he tried to cover up their plan.

“Yeah, you heard wrong,” Zuko said.

“I heard you hatching an escape plan, and I want in,” Chit Sang said, clearly not buying Sokka’s pathetic attempt at saving their secret.

“There’s nothing to get in on,” Zuko snapped.

“Yeah, the only thing we’re hatching is…” Sokka trailed off as he tried to save himself. “An egg?”

Suki and Zuko groaned as Abby turned to Suki and remarked, “Seriously? This is the guy who you’re putting all of your faith in?”

“Hey, not everyone is a pathological liar like you,” Sokka snapped.

“Okay, well, I come with you or the Warden hears about this egg, too,” Chit Sang threatened.

“Let him along for a ride. He’s cool and deserves his freedom too,” Abby said.

Suki glanced reluctantly at Sokka, “I guess we have no choice.”

“Okay, you’re in,” Sokka conceded as he handed Zuko a wrench. “Now, first we need someone to unbolt the cooler, from the inside.”

“Oh, I can get you inside,” Chit Sang smirked.

“Does this mean that one of us gets to beat Hothead up? Cause I’ve been looking for an excuse to fight someone for _days_ now,” Abby offered.

“Abby, what happened to wanting to stay out of trouble? Even if Zuko instigates the fight the Warden will most likely punish you too. You know he has it out for you, especially after you threatened him,” Suki pointed out, hoping that by mentioning Abby’s difficulty with the Warden that Sokka would soften up to the idea of her coming with them.

Abby sighed in annoyance, “Ugh, fine. Chit Sang can do it. I’ll have to take out my frustration in some other way.”

“We are so going to be talking about this arrangement later,” Sokka hissed to Suki.

Despite not wanting to, Abby just sat back and watched as Zuko and Chit Sang started a hilarious fight that saw Zuko break the rules and get sent off to the cooler. As the crowd dispersed after the conflict, Abby slipped away until she caught Suki’s Loverboy with the intention of having a simple conversation with him.

“Hey, you,” Abby called out to him.

“What?” Sokka asked warily.

“I get that you don’t trust me and don’t want me around and that’s fine. At least put up with me for Ninja’s sake and once I get out of here, you won’t have to worry about me anymore,” Abby reassured him.

“Who’s to say that once you’re out of here you won’t go back to your Avatar hunting and murderous tendencies?” Sokka asked.

“Not me,” Abby shrugged. “I’d understand why you wouldn’t trust my word and I get that. For me a persons actions have always spoke louder than their words. So just let my actions speak for themselves and you’ll see that I’m not the firebender that you should be worrying about.”

“Then who should I be worrying about?” Sokka questioned.

“A certain crazy firebender princess who’s a sadistic bitch and will do anything she has to do to get her way,” Abby replied. “But that’s just my thoughts. So you can either spend your time worrying about someone who isn’t really worth your time or you can worry about the threats who are actually threats to you.”

Giving Sokka one last look, Abby turned around and left him there so he could think about her words. If she was being completely honest, Abby didn’t expect him to trust her implicitly. She hardly expected him to trust her at all. What she did expect him to do was see the sense in her words and realise that she really wasn’t someone that he needed to worry about because she wasn’t.

Besides, if he could give Prince Hothead a second chance after everything that he’d done, then he was in no place to deny Abby that same right. The last thing that Abby wanted to do was to work with the same people who had been her enemies for so long, but if it meant getting her freedom back, then Abby was willing to do just that. She’d just have to wait and see if when the time came to put the plan into action, Sokka brought her along for the ride.

~*•°•*~

Part of Abby had expected Sokka to just ditch her ass and leave her to rot at the Boiling Rock. So when Sokka came to release her from her cell, Abby was pleasantly surprised. She figured that he was doing this for Suki’s sake and that if he had the chance, he would just leave her to rot. When Abby reached the shore that they would be using as their launching point, she spotted Suki, Chit Sang and two of Chit Sang’s friends waiting for them.

“Good, you’re here,” Suki smiled as she walked up to Abby. “It was getting a bit awkward waiting with those guys.”

“I’m surprised that he even came to get me out,” Abby admitted.

“He almost didn’t,” Suki confirmed. “If I hadn’t made him promise to bring you along, he would’ve just left you here. But I made it clear that there was no way I was leaving if you weren’t coming.”

“Thanks, Ninja. That means a lot,” Abby said. It did. Not that many people who Abby had met in her life had been willing to stick their neck out for her like that. The fact that Suki had done that for her really did mean a lot to Abby.

“We just have to wait for Sokka to get Zuko from the cooler so that they can bring it down,” Suki stated.

“What are your feelings towards Prince Hothead? Do you trust him?” Abby asked, since she was yet to make up her mind on Zuko.

“I’m not sure. There’s still a part of me that hates him for burning down my village. It’s almost unfathomable that he’s here with Sokka now and helping them by teaching Aang firebending. But Sokka seems to trust him, so I guess I have to too,” Suki replied.

“I don’t trust them,” Abby muttered.

“Why? They’re giving you a chance to escape,” Suki argued.

“Only because you insisted on me coming with you,” Abby pointed out. “There’s no doubt in my mind that if push came to shove, they would be more than willing to sell me off as a sacrificial lamb. Then again, I’d be willing to do the same with them as well.”

“How could you say that?” Suki questioned.

“Can you blame me for having very little care over their well-being when they certainly don’t have the same care for mine? If this plan ends up being a total dud and choices have to be made, I’m more than willing to just leave them behind and get the fuck out of here on my own. There’s no way I’m jeopardising my freedom for a Hotheaded Prince and a Water Tribe peasant,” Abby said.

Suki glared at her, “If this plan _does_ work out and they let you come with us then you’re going to have to stop calling Sokka that because he is _not_ a peasant. He’s –“

“Yeah, yeah. The ‘bravest person that you’ve ever met.’ You’ve already told me this more than enough for me to know it,” Abby remarked with a roll of her eyes. From her experience, Sokka certainly wasn’t brave. If anything, he was just an expendable fool.

Almost on cue, Sokka and Zuko chose that moment to come rolling down the hill with the now detached cooler. Abby, Suki and Chit Sang moved up to help them get it into position.

“Took you guys long enough,” Chit Sang snapped. “This here’s my girl and my best buddy, they’re coming too.”

“Fine,” Sokka growled in agreement. “Everybody in the cooler. Let’s go.”

They moved the cooler into the water. As they did so, Abby noticed Sokka lift a rock that revealed his Water Tribe outfit. Whatever he was thinking about, they didn’t have any time to waste.

“Move it,” Abby snapped.

“Are you sure you wanna go?” Zuko asked as he approached Sokka. “You’re the one who said you wanted to redeem yourself. Redeem your honour. Rescuing your dad is your chance.”

“Your dad?” Suki questioned.

Sokka turned to Zuko, “If I had just cut my losses at the invasion, maybe we wouldn’t be in this mess. Maybe sometimes it’s just better to call it quits before you fail.”

“No, it’s not,” Zuko insisted. “Look Sokka, you’re going to fail a lot before things work out.”

“Speaking from experience, I assume?” Abby remarked.

“That’s supposed to make me feel better?” Sokka asked as he stood up.

“Even though you’ll probably fail over and over and over again…” Zuko trailed off.

“Seriously, not helping,” Sokka interrupted.

Zuko grabbed hold of Sokka’s shoulder, “You have to try every time. You can’t quit because you’re afraid you _might_ fail.”

“He’s got a point,” Abby interjected. “I’ve tried getting out of this place _three_ times already and have I quit? No. I’ve just dusted myself off and tried thinking of another plan.”

“Hey, if you lot are done cuddling, can we get a move on?” Chit Sang asked from beside the cooler.

“No. I’m staying,” Sokka replied as he turned to Suki. “You guys go. You’ve been here long enough.”

“I’m not leaving without you, Sokka,” Suki smiled at him reassuringly.

“I’m staying, too,” Zuko added.

Abby sighed reluctantly, “I guess I’ll stick around too. A few more days in here won’t hurt me.”

“Not me, I’m out. Let’s roll, baby,” Chit Sang stated as he pushed the cooler into the lake and jumped in.

“We gave up our only chance of escaping. I hope we haven’t just made a huge mistake,” Sokka sighed as they watched the cooler float away.

“We need to get moving on before we’re missed,” Zuko said.

Abby scoffed, “I doubt anyone would miss me around here.”

“Let’s go,” Sokka stated.

The foursome headed back up the hill. While Sokka and Zuko walked ahead, Suki pulled Abby back and gave her a smirk.

“What?” Abby asked.

“I thought you said that you weren’t risking your freedom for a Hothead Prince and Water Tribe peasant?” Suki narrowed her eyes.

Abby rolled her eyes, “Look, if it was possible I’d be jetting across the Boiling Lake with my fire jets right now but the steam is so thick that it makes firebending almost impossible. A choice had to be made and I’d rather take my chances with those two over Chit Sang and his cronies. That’s all there is to it.”

“Whatever you say,” Suki murmured.

Together they walked up a long trek that lead up to the prison tower. Walking across that narrow path was more nerve-wracking than any of Abby’s other escape attempts. The prospect of getting caught was definitely daunting, so they made an extra effort not to be seen by any of the guards. It they did get spotted by one of the guards, then Abby was more than willing to take her chance with firebending across the Boiling Lake.

The main reason why Abby had decided to stay with Sokka and Zuko was because there was a higher chance of things going wrong with Chit Sang than there was with the guys. If Abby was going to be escaping, she wanted there to be no chance of things going wrong and going with Chit Sang definitely left room for that to be a possibility. Her decision to stick with Sokka and Zuko proved to be worth it when a loud siren went off and a launcher was flung down to where the cooler was in the water.

“The plan failed! They’re caught!” Sokka whispered in alarm.

“Then it was worth it not tagging along with them, after all,” Abby muttered.

Above them, Abby could hear the Warden screaming nonsense at the prison guards as they tried to get the prison in order. Their attention then turned to the gondola that was slowly approaching the prison.

“The gondola’s moving,” Sokka stated before it came to a stop. “This is it. If my dad’s not there, we’ve risked everything for nothing.”

“We had to,” Suki held Sokka’s hand.

“Is that him?” Zuko asked as a large man with a tattoo and nose ring came off the gondola.

“My dad doesn’t have a nose ring,” Sokka replied, somewhat offended.

“What about that guy?” Abby asked as another man walked out with extra-long hair.

“My dad’s hair isn’t that long,” Sokka snapped.

“Well, I’m sorry. I’ve never met your father before,” Abby hissed, and Sokka’s sigh of relief didn’t go unnoticed by Abby.

“Where is he?” Sokka asked impatiently as several more man walked off the gondola and none of them appeared to be Sokka’s father. “That’s it? That can’t be it.”

“I’m sorry, Sokka,” Suki apologised comfortingly.

“Oh, no,” Sokka murmured.

“Hey, you!” one of the guards shouted, catching their attention. “Get off the gondola!”

They all looked up in anticipation to see who would be the last person to exit the gondola. For Sokka’s sake, Abby hoped that his father was that person. She shook her head at that thought. Why should she care about ‘his sake’ when he certainly didn’t care about hers?

Finally, a man stepped off the gondola with an uncanny resemblance to Sokka. To Abby’s surprise, he held his head with nothing but pride whereas the other prisoners had just walked out with shame.

“Dad…” Sokka trailed off in shock.

“Sokka, you should go,” Zuko said.

“R-right, of course,” Sokka replied awkwardly.

Abby rolled her eyes, “Just go see your father.”

“We should go back to our cells before anyone realises that we’re missing,” Zuko suggested.

Suki nodded, “We’ll see Sokka again later.”

You’d think that with the Boiling Rock being the highest security prison in the Fire Nation that they would’ve made it less able for Sokka to sneak Abby, Suki and Zuko out of their cells. But Abby had quickly realised that the Boiling Rock wasn’t the extemporary prison that people liked to show it as. The place was nothing but a sham.

“Hey, Abby,” Zuko stopped Abby from heading off.

“What?” Abby snapped.

“Look, I’m sorry about Sokka’s distrust in you but he’ll come around when he sees that you really have changed. He did the same for me,” Zuko said.

“I don’t care about his approval,” Abby growled.

“I just wanted say, that I know where you’re coming from,” Zuko added. “I know how hard it must be to risk losing everything by betraying our country. But we did this for the right reasons.”

“Whatever,” Abby muttered.

Walking away from Zuko, Abby couldn’t help but acknowledge the fact that she and Zuko had basically committed the exact same acts and ended up in the exact same situations. They had both mercilessly hunted down the Avatar, they had both betrayed their country for the greater good and now they were both locked up in the Boiling Rock for doing just that. The difference between them was that Abby had certainly been through a lot more than Zuko, and she wasn’t going to let him say that he understood her when in her eyes, he’d had a much easier ride than she did.

Regardless of what had happened up until this point, for the first time in a long time Abby was beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. For so long escaping the Boiling Rock had just seemed like an impossible dream, only now it was becoming a reality.

There was definitely hope left for Abby, and she knew that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that chapter was probably a little bit underwhelming than what some of you guys thought it would be but the next chapter is definitely going to pick things up again. It’s funny how the Boiling Rock is supposed to be the highest security prison in the Fire Nation, yet it was so easy for Sokka and Zuko to sneak in and get Suki and Chit Sang out of their cells without being noticed. But I guess it had to be made easy for them since otherwise the episode would’ve been pointless.


	66. Grand Escape

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We’ve finally reached the chapter that I’m sure most of you have patiently been waiting for – the breakout. This is going to be another one of those turning point chapters because it’s leading to a big change in the story so far. It’s safe to assume that you guys know what kind of change I’m talking about and if you could answer the questions that I left at the end of the previous chapter it would be appreciated. Without further ado, I give you the Boiling Rock: Part Two featuring Abby and all of the madness that it will entail.

Sneaking back to her prison cell had proven to be more easier than Abby had anticipated it to be considering that the prison was now on lockdown. Then again, there were a lot of things at the Boiling Rock that seemed too easy despite it being the highest-security prison in the Fire Nation. All of Abby’s failed escape attempts had failed simply because she just had tings go wrong for her, not because of anything that she had done. But now Abby was putting all of her eggs in Sokka’s – _not_ that ‘Water Tribe peasant’ basket.

Having no idea what was going on now, Abby just decided to remained focused on training and refining her skills in her cell. If they were going to be coming up with another escape plan, then Abby needed to be ready. Despite those few moments of doubt about if whether or not Sokka would actually include her in this plan, Abby had to believe that Suki wouldn’t leave her behind like this. That was the only thing that was keeping her faith in Sokka, with that being Suki’s faith in him. She had to give him credit for the other escape plan, since it probably would’ve worked perfectly without Chit Sang there to screw it up.

Knowing that Chit Sang was one of the most hated prisoners by the guards, she could only imagine the kind of punishment that he was getting. But then Abby started to wonder what exactly he would be saying about the plan. It wasn’t a plan that he had come up with on his own, and Abby knew that the Warden would realise that because the man wasn’t completely stupid. Would he sell them out? Would that put her in even more trouble than she was already in?

But Abby had to get rid of those thoughts, because Chit Sang had proven himself to her and Abby firmly believed that he wouldn’t do anything that would put her in harm. Her thoughts on Chit Sang were interrupted as the door to her cell opened and a guard entered. The guard quickly lifted the visor, revealing themselves to be Sokka.

“It’s me, don’t kick me!” Sokka hissed.

“I wouldn’t even if I wanted to because Ninja would kill me,” Abby remarked.

“I don’t have much time, but there’s a new escape plan. We’re gonna put it into action today,” Sokka said.

Abby’s eyes widened, “Today? But the prison is on lockdown.”

“I’ll handle that. You just need to meet up with Suki, Zuko, me and my dad in the prison yard once all of the prisoners get released. Then we’re going to start a prison riot, commandeer the gondola and take a hostage so that they won’t cut the line,” Sokka explained.

“That sounds like a great plan and all,” Abby admitted, since in theory it was. “But there is no way that you’re gonna get across the Boiling Lake on the gondola with a hostage, regardless of who it is.”

“Even if it’s the Warden?” Sokka smirked.

“Did you not just hear me say regardless of who it is? The Warden has said time and time again that he’d rather jump into the Boiling Lake than risk losing his perfect record,” Abby argued.

“Then we’ll deal with it when we have to. Just be in the yard for the riot,” Sokka said.

Within seconds Sokka disappeared from her cell, leaving her alone once again. But Abby knew that she was potentially about to get more company than she wanted if this escape planned worked out, because she had a feeling that they wouldn’t just let her go once they got out.

Compared to Sokka’s previous plan, this one was far more ambitious since there was so much that could go wrong with it. But it was a plan that Abby much preferred since she had come to realise that no matter how much thought you put into a plan, things always tended to work out in the exact opposite way that you intended them too. Plus, this plan possibly gave her the opportunity to _finally_ get even with the Warden, so Abby was hoping that they’d manage to pull this off.

~*•°•*~

When the door to her cell rolled open, Abby was more than prepared for what was about to happen. She walked out of her cell, standing still for a few moments as she watched other prisoners race past her. Once a crowd was slowly forming in the direction of the yard, Abby joined the rest of them, hoping to go unnoticed by any guards who decided to pick her out.

Doing so seemed to work in her favour, since she managed to get to the yard without any trouble and spotted Suki in the distance. Upon doing so, Abby headed towards the other girl who smiled brightly once she saw her.

“Abby! You made it!” Suki grinned.

“Wouldn’t miss this for the world,” Abby smirked.

“Here comes Sokka and his dad,” Suki pointed ahead of them.

Turning around, Abby saw Sokka and his father approaching them. Part of her wondered if his father knew who she was. The look of apprehension and uneasiness that he gave her was enough to confirm her suspicions.

“This is it! We have to start a riot,” Sokka declared.

“Okay. But how do we do that?” Suki questioned.

“I’ll show you,” Sokka’s father – Hakoda his name was - smiled smugly before he shoved a prisoner.

“Hey! What’d you do that for? That hurt my feelings,” the prisoner rubbed his neck.

“Aren’t you mad at me?” Hakoda asked.

“Uh, well, normally I would be, but I’ve been learning to control my anger,” the prisoner replied.

“Prison riots have decreased since they introduced anger management classes,” Abby noted.

“This isn’t working,” Sokka groaned.

“Hey you!” Chit Sang suddenly appeared behind Sokka and put his hand on Sokka’s shoulder. “You’re lucky I didn’t rat me out, but my generosity comes with a price. I know you’re planning another escape attempt, and I want in.”

“Actually, we’re trying to escape right now, but we need a riot,” Sokka said as he pointed at Chit Sang. “You wouldn’t happen to know how to start one, would you?”

“A prison riot? Please,” Chit Sang scoffed.

It was no surprise to Abby that Chit Sang quickly grabbed a prisoner and lifted him in the air, bouncing him up and down. This immediately got the attention of the other prisoners and Chit Sang quickly got them into action by calling out riot, which was exactly what happened.

“Impressive,” Hakoda looked shocked for a moment.

“Forget about controlling my anger…” the prisoner who Hakoda shoved raised his arms. “Let’s riot.”

Despite having been imprisoned at the Boiling Rock for over three months, Abby had never experience a prison riot like this before and she had to admit, she kinda liked it. Simply because it gave the guards trouble and she liked them getting trouble.

“Okay, we’ve got the riot going. Now lets get ourselves going,” Abby said.

“No, we have to wait for Zuko,” Sokka insisted and Abby groaned, really not wanting to wait any longer.

A few more minutes passed as the riot continued in full swing, and it wasn’t long before the guards had to get involved so that they could try and break it up, but with little success. If there was ever a reason to riot, the prisoners wanted it and they were certainly going to make the most of this opportunity.

Out of the corner of her eye, Abby spotted Zuko coming running towards them as he slammed down another guard whilst the riot continued. It was about time that he’d showed up, since they had all been released at the same time yet he had failed to meet up with them.

“Zuko! Good, we’re all here,” Sokka pointed towards the balcony where the Warden was standing. “Now all we need to do is grab the warden, and get to the gondolas!”

“And how do we do that?” Zuko asked.

“I’m not sure,” Sokka replied.

The two boys then got into a ridiculous argument that Abby didn’t even have the attention to listen to. Her focus was on the Warden who was staring down at them. It seemed as though Suki also shared her focus because it wasn’t a few seconds before Suki took off running, with Abby right behind her.

While Suki handled the guards down below, Abby shoved her way through the prisoners and the guards until she used her firebending to propel herself into the air, her gaze locked on where the Warden was standing. She didn’t need to worry about Suki, because Abby knew that Suki could handle herself. Within seconds, Abby reached the platform where the Warden was standing and she couldn’t hide the satisfaction that she felt when she saw the surprised look on his face at her sudden appearance.

Once she was close enough, she flipped herself over so that she landed on the platform, easily taking out the guards who tried to apprehend her. It was sad to say that they almost didn’t stand a chance as she simply shoved her hand into one of their faces and pushed them down before using them as a launching pad so that she could knock the Warden down, which she did with ease.

By the time the Warden was knocked down on the metal railing, Suki had already made it up to join her and they both shared a triumphant smirk as they pulled the Warden up and slammed him against the wall. They then tied his hands together and used his headband as a gag, since they knew that he needed to be quiet for this to work. The next footsteps that approached them were those of their fellow escapees, all out of breath.

“We’ve got the Warden! Now let’s get out of here!” Suki grinned.

“That’s some girl,” Hakoda gestured to Suki.

“Tell me about it,” Sokka said proudly.

“Um, hey? What about me?” Abby crossed her arms.

“You’re one of a kind,” Chit Sang remarked.

“Why thank you. I’m glad that _someone_ can appreciate me,” Abby drawled.

“We’ll appreciate you later once we get to the gondolas,” Sokka snapped.

With no time to waste, they let Chit Sang grab the Warden as they took off towards the gondolas. So far, their escape plan was working and Abby could actually see them pulling this off. But she wasn’t going to get too ahead of herself. In order for them to pull it off, they had to actually pull it off.

As they made their way towards the gondola, they were attacked by numerous prison guards who tried to stop them. At one point, Abby noticed Sokka being cornered as he tried to fight off three guards. Knowing that they couldn’t leave without him because Suki wouldn’t want to, Abby quite literally put herself in the crossfire as she launched a blast of fire between them, giving Sokka the opportunity that he needed to run off.

“Thanks…” Sokka trailed off as he caught up to her.

“ _Don’t_ mention it,” Abby snapped. She couldn’t have people thinking that she’d done hero deeds, then they’d think that she’d gone soft. She might’ve changed her ways, but Abby still liked to think of herself as a heartless bitch.

Remembering the second time that she tried to make an escape attempt, Abby couldn’t help but think that maybe she would’ve had better success if she’d started a riot, because the riot was certainly helping them make it to the gondolas at quick speed. Hardly any guards were around to stop them as they tried to stop the riot, which gave them an easy pass to the gondola.

“We’re almost there!” Suki yelled.

They were stopped by guards who launched two fire blasts at them. Zuko shoved Sokka out of the way as he and Abby blocked the two fire blasts. More guards appeared to attack them. Now _this_ was the part of their plan that would prove to be the most difficult.

“Back off! We’ve got the Warden!” Zuko demanded, and the guards saw that the Warden was on Chit Sang’s shoulder, bound and gagged. They cleared the way. “Let’s go.”

Getting no trouble from the guards, the continued along their path, cautiously watching in case that they did try any sudden moves. When they arrived at the gondola, Suki opened the door while Abby trailed behind as Zuko started the gondola before heading inside.

Noticing the guards already approaching them, Abby decided to add something else for good measure. She kicked the handle a few times, attempting to break it and only managed to do so after a few hard attempts. Just when the guards started to shoot their fire blasts at her, Abby jumped into the air and used her fire jet to propel her into the gondola so that she wouldn’t miss.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Suki demanded.

“Thinking ahead since those two dunderheads can’t seem to do it,” Abby snapped, pointing at Sokka and Zuko.

“Alright, we’ve got this now,” Sokka grinned.

“Wait,” Hakoda said, ending any sort of celebration that they could’ve had. “Who’s that?”

Everyone turned their attention to where Hakoda was pointing at, and Abby felt her blood boil at what she saw. Because standing on the platform was none other than _Azula_. The last time that Abby had seen Azula was during their Agni Kai which had resulted in a somewhat crushing defeat for Abby. If there was anything that she had been waiting for over the past three months, it was the chance to do the exact same to Azula.

“Figures that she’d be here,” Abby muttered bitterly.

“That’s a problem,” Zuko said the understatement of the century. “It’s my sister and her friend.”

From where they were travelling, Abby could see Ty Lee jumping onto a cable, running along it towards the gondola and once again showing off her flexibility that had never ceased to amaze Abby. As for Azula, Abby couldn’t help but watch in bitterness as she grabbed what appeared to be a pair of handcuffs from a guard and elevated herself to the line with a fire blast. She then used the cuffs to attach herself to the cable and propel herself forward.

“This is a rematch I’ve been waiting for,” Suki said, determined.

“Me too,” Zuko growled.

“That makes three of us,” Abby added, ready more than anything to have the chance to redeem herself in battle with Azula.

They all seemed to want to put Azula in her place, so the foursome climbed to the top of the gondola to meet Azula and Ty Lee. As they did so, Abby couldn’t help but wonder where Mai was, since her uncle was the warden and she was usually always with Azula and Ty Lee. When their opponents arrived, Ty Lee flipped into the air and landed in front of Suki, who growled as they both assumed a battle stance.

That left Abby, Sokka and Zuko to deal with Azula who pulled herself up onto the roof and faced them. Once again Abby felt another feeling of satisfaction at the surprised look on Azula’s face upon seeing her there. The Fire Nation princess assumed her own battle stance and performed a slicing kick, sending blue fire at her opponents, but Zuko blocked it.

As he did so, Abby stepped forward and launched her own fire blast at Azula, who narrowly avoided it. If there was one thing that Abby wanted to achieve apart from escaping this wretched prison, it was experiencing the delight of watching Azula fall to the Boiling Lake. But Azula remained composed, blocking each of Abby’s attacks. At one point, Azula unleashed a small whip of fire on Abby, which she blocked by sending a blast at Azula, which almost made her fall off the gondola.

“Why don’t you try shooting me with lightning now, psycho princess?” Abby seethed.

The comment only seemed to enrage Azula even more as she tried knocking Abby out, only for Zuko to wipe out her fire blasts. Sokka drew her back to the edge with his sword and Zuko went in for a finish, but Azula dodged his blast and stayed on the gondola with an impressive show of flexibility as she landed in a plank position, her feet dangling over the edge. She countered with a blast of fire that went wide, almost striking Suki and Ty Lee, who barely managed to dodge it as they were in their own battle.

Suddenly, they heard a loud yell from the gondola: “Cut the line!”

There was no doubt in Abby’s mind that it came from the Warden, and she was hardly surprised at all when she felt the gondola jerking back and forth as the guards listened to his orders. The Warden really would rather risk his own life than lose his perfect record. As the gondola jerked from side to side, it disrupted the combatants from their respective duels and Sokka even almost fell off the edge, but Zuko managed to pull him up at the last moment.

“They’re about to cut the line!” Ty Lee yelled as she jumped up to the top of the wire to see what was happening.

“Then it’s time to leave,” Azula smirked as she blasted herself up. “Goodbye, Zuko. And Abby, I hope the Boiling Lake burns you alive.”

She managed to land safely on another gondola that was heading inbound and Ty Lee backflipped to join her in another impressive showcase of her flexibility. In contrast to Azula’s sadistic smile, Abby couldn’t help but notice the worry on Ty Lee’s face. Why would she be worried for them when they were her enemies? They then jumped back into the gondola to alert the others of what was happening.

“They’re cutting the line! The gondola’s about to go!” Zuko warned them.

“I hope this thing floats,” Hakoda said.

“I don’t think it does,” Abby remarked as she glared at them. “You guys had one job and that was to keep him out of any trouble!”

“We’re gonna burn to death now!” Sokka shrieked in panic.

Abby rolled her eyes, “If it comes down to it, I’m more than willing to leave you guys to burn in the Boiling Lake. No offence.”

“Some taken,” Suki muttered.

“I don’t think that will be necessary,” Hakoda said as they felt the gondola moving again.

“What? Aren’t they supposed to be cutting the line?” Chit Sang asked as everyone looked down to see what was happening.

“Who’s that?” Sokka questioned as they saw someone fighting the guards down below.

“It’s Mai!” Zuko gasped in shock as he recognised his ex-girlfriend.

“Why would she do what she’s doing?” Abby asked herself.

“Isn’t your sister gonna go nuts when she sees that?” Sokka pointed out.

“She already _is_ nuts,” Abby remarked.

“True,” Sokka agreed.

To Abby’s surprise, the gondola managed to make it to the top of the hill without being stopped again. They all exited the gondola as Chit Sang held the Warden and threw him back in when Hakoda pointed at it.

“Sorry, warden. Your record is officially _broken_ ,” Hakoda smirked.

“Which means no promotion for you,” Abby added.

They then ran over to the rim of the volcano, and Abby couldn’t actually believe that the plan had actually worked and that they’d _escaped_. Freedom had never tasted this good.

“Well, we made it out. Now what?” Suki panted.

Sokka turned and noticed that Zuko was standing still, “Zuko, what are you doing?”

“My sister was on that island,” Zuko stated.

“Yeah, and she’s probably right behind us, so let’s not stop!” Sokka said.

“What I mean is she must have come here somehow,” he walked over to a large hill by the sea. “There! That’s our way out of here!”

Following Zuko’s gesture, their eyes landed on this huge Fire Nation airship that was at the bottom of the volcano. All Abby could do was stare at it in amazement, because that airship had been _her_ idea and _her_ design. Now she was actually seeing it in person for the first time.

They managed to get to the airship without any trouble, and once they snuck inside they allowed Abby and Zuko to go ahead and get rid of any of the workers that were around. It gave Abby great pleasure to be able to knock out the guards and any of the other crew members that were in her way, since it almost made up for the suffering that she had to endure because of them. Keyword: almost.

Once the airship was fully under their control, they allowed it to take off into the sky and head towards their destination, which Abby had no idea where they were going but she assumed that they wanted to keep it that way until they either dumped her on the nearest island or arrived.

Whatever they dealt her with, Abby would take it. She was just glad to _finally_ be out of that place. It had taken her one hundred and nine days, but she was finally free. And freedom had never felt so good.

~*•°•*~

For the most part, riding on an airship with some people who Abby had considered her enemies months ago was awkward. She at least had Suki and Chit Sang to talk to, but Sokka, Hakoda and Zuko had all been awkward around her. Suki had told her that they were deciding on what they would do with her and Abby just hoped that it wouldn’t involve anymore conflict because after the last three months, she could use a break from that.

“Okay, we’ve decided what we’re going to do with you,” Sokka declared as he and Zuko approached her.

“And what would that be?” Abby asked.

“We’re going to take you to where we’ve been hiding for the past few weeks and we’re trusting you enough to keep that location a secret. After your actions today, you have at least proven yourself of being considered for a second chance,” Zuko replied.

“But I openly said that I wouldn’t hesitate leaving you guys to burn to death in the Boiling Lake if it meant me getting out of here,” Abby pointed out.

“Yeah, well, you still didn’t even though you could’ve just abandoned us. And you did kind of save my butt back there,” Sokka said.

“I told you _not_ to mention it,” Abby hissed.

“It’s okay to be the hero every now and then, Abby. You don’t _always_ have to be the villain,” Suki chimed in.

“But we do have to ask you what you intend to do now that you’re out of prison,” Sokka added.

“If you’re asking me what side I plan to fight on, I won’t be fighting for the Fire Nation, that’s for damn sure. I’ve suffered more at their hands than I have at the hands of people who I considered to be my enemies,” Abby answered.

“But you wouldn’t consider them enemies anymore?” Sokka clarified.

“If you’re referring to yourselves specifically, than no. I’ll only fight back if I need to defend myself because one thing that will never change is my unwillingness to back down. If I get trouble, I’m more than willing to give it back,” Abby replied.

“Fair enough,” Zuko nodded.

“Considering your history with us, we’re going to have to talk it over with the group before we decide what your status with us will be,” Sokka stated.

Abby scoffed, “What makes you think I even _want_ to be ‘with’ you or whatever?”

“Because you have nowhere else to go and not that many people will want you around,” Zuko pointed out.

“If you’re gonna make it out of the war okay on our side, you’re gonna have to convince them that you’re not a psycho firebender with the intent of killing Aang,” Sokka said.

“Even if I say I’m not, who says that you’ll believe me anyways?” Abby asked.

“Don’t worry, we have a human lie detector with us,” Sokka piped up.

“And they’ve seen how I’ve changed, so they should be able to see it with you,” Zuko added.

“Well, Katara still hates your guts,” Sokka remarked.

“It’s a work in progress,” Zuko muttered.

“But my sister will probably be the one you have the most trouble with, especially considering your history,” Sokka stated.

“I can handle a little Water Tribe girl. I’ve handled her before, haven’t I?” Abby smirked.

“But without violence,” Suki said.

Abby rolled her eyes, “Fine, I won’t try and kill her unless she tries to kill me. That’s the best you’re gonna get with me.”

“I’ll take it,” Sokka conceded.

“Speaking of changed, can you guys believe that Azula’s friend did what she did for us?” Suki asked.

Zuko shook his head, “I can’t believe that Mai would risk her life for me like that. She of all people would know the consequences of betraying Azula.”

“Man, I’d kill to be a fly on the wall for _that_ confrontation,” Abby remarked before seeing the panicked looks on the others faces. “Not any of you guys. You’re not worth my time anymore.”

“Gee, thanks,” Sokka muttered.

The rest of their trip to their destination was in silence, and Abby was slowly preparing herself for having to face the people who she’d tried to kill multiple times in the past. Like Sokka said, she had no doubt that the Water Tribe girl would be her biggest hurdle but she didn’t care if the girl accepted her or not. Abby knew what her intentions were, and she wasn’t going to let anyone else judge her.

When they landed at their destination, Sokka had instructed them to waited back in the airship for him to announce them. It was something about making a dramatic entrance, but Abby figured that her appearance on its own would be dramatic enough.

“What are you doing in this thing? What happened to the war balloon?” came the voice of the Water Tribe girl.

“It kind of got destroyed,” Zuko replied.

“Sounds like a crazy fishing trip,” was the Avatar’s response. Despite hearing that he wasn’t actually dead, Abby still didn’t quite believe it until she heard his voice for the first time in months.

“Did you at least get some good meat?” the earthbender chimed in.

“I did – the best meat of all. Friendship and fatherhood,” Sokka replied, and Abby couldn’t help but roll her eyes at the choice of his words.

Figuring that that was their cue to make their ‘dramatic’ entrance, they all came out of the airship, with Abby somewhat hesitating before she did so. Her appearance either went unnoticed or they weren’t acknowledging her as they did just that.

“I’m new. What’s up, everybody?” Chit Sang waved at them.

“Dad?” the Water Tribe girl began to cry.

“Hi, Katara,” Hakoda greeted his daughter, helping Abby remembering her name. If she was going to have to hang around these guys then she’d have to learn to start calling them by their names.

“How are you here? What is going on? Where did you go?” Katara asked.

“We kind of went to a Fire Nation prison,” Sokka replied before he was pulled into the embrace.

“Seriously? You guys didn’t find _any_ meat?” the earthbender asked.

“No, but they brought in fresh meet,” Abby remarked.

That seemed to put an end to any sort of happiness that was going on because Katara quickly pulled away from her fathers embrace as she glared at Abby, but her shock didn’t go unnoticed. As for the Avatar and the earthbender, they just stared apprehensively at her, almost as if they were afraid to do anything.

 _“You,”_ Katara hissed.

“Me,” Abby shrugged nonchalantly.

At that point, the tension that wasn’t there before instantly skyrocketed as nobody knew what to say. It seemed as though Sokka didn’t need his dramatic entrance after all, because Abby’s appearance on her own had certainly been just that. As she felt all eyes on her, Abby couldn’t help but think one thing only.

This was going to be interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Indeed it will be in the next few chapters, indeed it will be. I've got a lot planned for what will be Abby's time with the Gaang and her addition will certainly spice things up.


	67. Rocky Foundations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, the chapter that I’m sure most of you have been looking forward to – Abby’s official reunion with the Gaang. But now you should call her Abi, because that’s what she’s going to be referred to as for the rest of the story. Her name isn’t just going to be Abi though, and it will be further explained in the re-write. That does mean that I’ll be going back and re-writing this story once it is completed, so that’s something to look forward to. Anyways, this chapter takes place before the Southern Raiders.

Sitting far away from the members of Team Avatar, Abi sat by herself with her arms and legs restrained. Immediately after they had realised that she was now with them, they’d tasked the earthbender with restraining her so that they could talk about her without having to worry about her killing them, not that Abi planned on doing that anyways.

Abi liked to think that she had pretty good hearing, so she wanted to hear what they were saying about her. They were making it pretty easy for her to hear their conversation given how loudly they were talking. It was obvious that Katara was her biggest objector, the Avatar seemed to be trying to keep the peace, the earthbender was making a few remarks every now and then while Sokka and Zuko were trying to explain the situation and Suki was being her biggest supporter.

“Why did you have to even bring her here?”

“We wouldn’t have been able to escape without her.”

“Was I talking to you?”

“Come on, Katara. You have to give her a chance. You gave _him_ a chance after everything that he’s done.”

“I’m still against that!”

“What’s she feeling like, Toph? Can you feel if she’s gonna kill us or not?”

“I can’t get a good read on her. She’s a tough one to figure out.”

“Why couldn’t you guys have just dumped her on some random island? Better yet, why didn’t you just leave her at that prison to rot!”

“Let’s not let her divide us, guys. And Katara, if Abi is here then we can at least watch her and know what she’s doing.”

That last comment by the Avatar made Abi smirk to herself. It was pretty satisfying for her to know that she had such an impact on people. But she was growing tired of listening to their petty squabbling and listening to them talk about her.

“You guys do know that I can hear you, right?” Abi snapped.

“Hey, this isn’t about you!” Katara yelled angrily.

Abi rolled her eyes, “But you’re talking _about_ me. So therefore, it _is_ about me.”

“She has a point,” Sokka commented.

Katara glared at her brother, “Don’t take her side!”

“Calm down, guys. We can’t afford to be fighting with each other. We have to come to a unanimous decision on what to do with her,” the Avatar stated.

“Why don’t we ask her a few questions and let Toph tell us if she’s being honest or not,” Sokka suggested, gesturing to the earthbender.

“She’s your human lie detector?” Abi questioned as Toph released her earthbending restraints, allowing her to stand up. “How can you even tell if I’m lying or not?”

“As an earthbender I can feel anything that’s connected to the ground. You’re connected to the ground so I can sense your emotions which means I can feel if you’re telling the truth or not,” Toph explained.

“Good trick,” Abi muttered.

“Yeah, I know. I’m awesome,” Toph boasted.

“Then let’s see just how good you are then,” Abi challenged as she stepped forward and prepared her lie. “I am a three hundred pound gipsy with red eyebrows and purple hair dressed in a rucksack and I have spent my entire life searching for the ancient wonders of the universe.”

“Man, she’s good,” Toph muttered bitterly.

“You’re not really helping your case,” Suki hissed.

Abi shrugged, “Like what I said would’ve made a difference. They would’ve just accused me of lying and would not have believed a thing that came out of my mouth, even if I was telling the truth.”

“Then how are we supposed to know if you’re being honest with your intentions?” the Avatar asked.

“Let my actions speak for themselves, Avatar. I’ve always been a firm believer that actions speak louder than words. I’m saying now that I have no intentions of trying to kill you and you will see that is the truth when I do not try to kill you,” Abi proclaimed.

“I might not be able to tell if she’s lying, but I can tell that she’s being sincere,” Toph said.

“But she’s still dangerous!” Katara argued.

Abi rolled her eyes, “If I was really a danger to you now, Damsel, then I would’ve killed you all by now. But I have not, so I am not really a danger to you.”

“What did you just call me?” Katara snapped.

“Is she always like this?” Abi asked.

“Most of the time,” Toph replied.

“Zuko, you’re our residential bad guy turned good. You’d also know more about Abi than the rest of us. What do you have to say about this?” the Avatar asked.

“Gee, thanks, Aang.” Zuko sighed. “I know that she’s not lying and that the story about her being a traitor is true, because Azula wouldn’t stop gloating about it when I was at the Fire Nation. And you guys gave me a chance, so you should give her the benefit of the doubt too.”

“I agree, Hotman. I propose that as long as Abi doesn’t cause any trouble and proves to be helpful, we can let her stick around,” Aang stated.

“Did you just call him Hotman?” Abi queried as Zuko groaned.

“Yeah, it’s what I call him. I used to spend a lot of time in the Fire Nation,” Aang replied.

“In case you haven’t realised it yet, Avatar, the term Hotman hasn’t been used in decades. In other words, your slang is extremely outdated,” Abi said.

“That’s what I keep telling him,” Zuko muttered.

“Alright, guys. Let’s put this to a vote. All those in favour of letting Abi stick around raise your hand,” Aang stated.

To Abi’s surprise, they all raised their hands in support of that. Katara was the only objection to this, which didn’t surprise her at all. It seemed as though the waterbender was going to be her biggest rival around here.

“Ugh, you are all crazy!” Katara yelled angrily as she stormed off.

“You’ll get used to her,” Toph said. “When Sparky first joined she took every opportunity to make a jab at him. Now she just gives him an attitude and he’s been here for a few weeks.”

“Gee, how mature,” Abi muttered.

“Hey, now that Abi’s sticking around that means that I can have two firebending teachers!” Aang exclaimed.

“Whoa, what? Who said anything about teaching? I’m not a teacher. I’m a student. I learn, I do not teach,” Abi argued.

“If we’re going to let you stick around you’re going to have to prove your worth to us,” Sokka insisted.

“Ugh, fine. I’ll give one lesson a go,” Abi reluctantly conceded. “But if he calls me Hotwoman I will skin him alive.”

“Don’t worry, I only say Hotman,” Aang grinned.

“So… Is anybody going to take me to a place to sleep? Because I’ve been sleeping on nothing but a bedroll for the past three months so I could use a good nights sleep for once,” Abi said.

“I’ll take you to a room,” Aang offered.

Going with the flow, Abi followed Aang as he lead her to the furthest room away from the others at her request. As a result of the torture that she received at the Boiling Rock, Abi could hardly sleep at night without waking up in a screaming fit and she refused to let these people see her with such weakness. The only person who had seen her at her lowest point was Suki, but Abi had sworn Suki to secrecy on their way over here.

Staying with the Avatars group wasn’t something that Abi had even planned on doing. She just wanted to leave them as soon as they arrived. But it seemed as though that they wouldn’t be letting her out of their sight anytime soon. Now Abi would have to somehow find a way to fit in with all of this mess if she was going to be sticking around for the time being.

~*•°•*~

Rising with the sun like she always did, Abi awoke after receiving a pretty decent amount of sleep for the first time in a long time. She’d only woken up in a fit three times, which for her was pretty good. It didn’t seem like anybody else was around and about at this point in time, which Abi was glad for since it gave her time to prepare herself for everything that she was about to be faced with.

According to the Avatar, they had a few other people with them as well from the failed invasion force. One of those people was Haru, and Abi was assuming that he was the same Haru whom she had met with Jae. No doubt he was going to give her the stink eye like Katara once he found out she was actually a firebender. Then there was some kid called Teo who used to live at the Northern Air Temple, and Abi assumed that he was the same son of the mechanist who finalised her designs for the war Zeppelin. Lastly there was a young boy named the Duke, who used to be a part of some rebel group in the Earth Kingdom but as far as Abi was aware, she hadn’t met him before.

This certainly wasn’t how Abi had envisioned her freedom being. She’d been waiting to finally be able to do whatever she wanted without having to worry about anyone else. But now she still had to worry about that because the Avatar had made it clear that they would be keeping a close eye on her. So basically it was still like being in prison, but with a lot less and a lot more annoying people. How Abi was going to deal with all of these irritating personalities, she had no idea. She was just hoping that they’d ignore her at all times.

The sound of soft footsteps snapped Abi out of her thoughts, and she whirled around to see a small boy standing fearfully behind her. Considering his height and the fact that he didn’t match the descriptions of the other boys, Abi assumed that he was the Duke.

“Hi…” Abi trailed off awkwardly.

“You’re the scary one, aren’t you?” he asked.

“I guess so,” Abi replied. “But you shouldn’t be scared of me unless you annoy me. So for your sake as well as mine, don’t annoy me or get on my bad side.”

“You’re a lot more scarier in person than from the distance,” the Duke admitted. “No wonder Jet was so shaken by you.”

“Huh? Who’s Jet?” Abi asked, not remembering the name from anywhere.

“My leader. You attacked him near the town of Gaipan. You almost singlehandedly took us down,” the Duke replied.

Abi’s eyes widened as she remembered what the boy was referring to. It had been when she was hunting down the Avatar and came across the town that was occupied by the Fire Nation. Their leader had wielded hooks words and chewed on a piece of wheat.

“Oh. You’re one of the Rebels, aren’t you? The group of kids who terrorised the Fire Nation armies?” Abi clarified, and the Duke nodded. “Thanks for making their lives miserable. They deserved it.”

“Why would you say that about the Fire Nation when you’re one of them?” the Duke asked.

“Because I am a Fire Nation citizen who has realised the error in her peoples ways and always did love messing with them myself,” Abi replied, remembering her days as the Black Widow. Nobody was yet to figure out that it was her, and she intended to keep it that way.

“Maybe you’re not so scary…” the Duke trailed off.

“Just don’t be like your leader and devote your life to fighting a pointless cause,” Abi remarked, noticing how the Duke’s face fell at the mention of his leader. “What?”

“Jet’s dead,” the Duke said.

“Oh,” Abi mumbled. “Uh, sorry for your loss?”

“It’s okay. I didn’t see it so I like to think that it didn’t happen,” the Duke stated before walking off.

Well, that introduction could’ve gone worse. The boy even said that maybe she wasn’t as scary as he first thought she was. Maybe Abi was losing her touch after all. She certainly wouldn’t let these people think that she’d gone soft, that’s for sure. She’d still keep her intimidating persona around because if she wasn’t going to have freedom over these people, then she could at least scare them.

It wasn’t long before Abi was joined by someone else. And that someone else was Haru. She recognised him instantly, and it took him a few moments before he realised that she was in his presence. As he approached her, Abi knew that this could go either way. He could either keep an open mind about her or react the exact same way Katara had. Whatever it was, she could handle it.

“So your name wasn’t Meg then,” Haru stated.

“Obviously,” Abi drawled.

Haru shook his head, “I can’t believe that I actually let someone like you into my house.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Abi snapped.

“You’re a firebender. My town was terrorised by firebenders. I was raised to hate them, and part of me still does. But considering I’m now living with the Fire Lords son, I’ve toned down my hatred,” Haru said.

“Do you hate me?” Abi wondered.

“Even if I did, it wouldn’t matter. It was decided without me that you would be sticking around. So I’m not going to act like I’m completely fine with it, because I’m not. I’ll be polite to you but I won’t treat you like I treat the others,” Haru answered.

“I guess that’s as good as I’m gonna get around here,” Abi muttered.

When it came to meeting the wheelchair boy, he didn’t seem too phased by the fact that Abi had at one point threatened his father. If he was threatened by her, he was doing a good job of not showing it. Though Abi had to admit that she was impressed by how he had managed to get around despite not being able to walk and had to give his father props for his ingenuity in making that for him.

For breakfast Abi reluctantly joined the group after some insistence on Suki and Chit Sang’s part. Never in her life had Abi had more of an awkward meal than that breakfast. But there was a humorous moment when Katara made a big debacle about not making enough for the addition of Abi, despite there being plenty of food left. That had resulted in an argument between Katara and Suki which saw the waterbender storm off yet again. At least Abi was getting some entertainment out of her time here. You didn’t get that at the Boiling Rock.

Later that day, Abi took some time to sneak off to get some training into her day. But she soon found herself joined by Toph who said that she had been appointed the task of watching her for that point in time. Even at the Boiling Rock Abi wasn’t scrutinised like she was being here. Sure, they still watched her at the Boiling Rock but they were at least subtle about it.

“Can’t you just act like you spent your time watching me instead of actually doing it?” Abi snapped.

“Nah, Sugar Queen will know if I bailed out. Somehow she always has a way of knowing if we didn’t do what we say we did,” Toph replied.

“Sugar Queen?” Abi repeated, although she had a slight suspicion as to who the earthbender was referring to.

“Katara,” Toph said, confirming Abi’s suspicions. “I give everyone nicknames around here in case you haven’t noticed. Zuko is Sparky, Aang is Twinkle Toes and Sokka is Meathead or Snoozles. I’m yet to give one to your little prison friend since she’s most likely gonna be sticking around for a while.”

The bitterness in Toph’s voice didn’t go unnoticed by Abi, and she had a feeling that she was resentful towards Suki because of Sokka. Her pre-teen angst was almost amusing.

“Well, your Meathead to me is Loverboy because of how he acts around Ninja. As for your Sugar Queen, she’s just a Damsel,” Abi remarked.

“That’ll annoy her more than Sugar Queen cause if there’s one thing she hates, it’s people pointing out her flaws,” Toph said.

“Then I’ll make sure to do just that. She already hates me enough, so what else have I got to lose?” Abi smirked.

“You know, for a former crazy firebender, you’re not so bad. I could get used to having you around,” Toph commented.

“It’s about time that someone acknowledged my rehabilitated mind,” Abi quipped.

“Despite the fact that you evaded my lie detector skills like that _princess_ who thinks she’s _so_ clever, you’re alright. You at least have some sense of morality unlike her,” Toph muttered.

Abi groaned, “You mean Princess Azula?”

“Ugh, don’t even get me started on her. Between the two of you on your worst days, I’d take you over her any day of the week,” Toph said.

“Um, thanks?” Abi murmured.

“I am a four hundred foot tall purple platypus bear with pink horns and silver wings,” Toph mimicked who Abi assumed was Azula. Although Abi couldn’t help but laugh at the thought of Azula as a purple platypus bear.

“Man, I’d love to see Azula as a platypus bear,” Abi remarked.

“Stupid, crazy, lighting freak,” Toph growled.

“You are right in the fact that Azula is crazy. She just knows how to control her crazy side better than I do. She’s also stupid and a bit of a freak,” Abi agreed, loving any chance to talk smack about Azula. Abi found that it was very therapeutic for her, considering what Azula did to her.

“I’d love to catch her on a lie,” Toph said.

“You’d be surprised by how much she lies about. She likes to gloat about the fact that she’s _so_ perfect but really, she’s not. She’s failed just like I have and has her own imperfections that she chooses to ignore,” Abi pointed out. “People like Azula can’t afford to have people thinking any less of them because otherwise it ruins the intimidation that comes with making people think that you’re perfect.”

“I’m assuming that you speak from experience,” Toph commented.

“I guess so,” Abi muttered.

“Well, I’ve talked to you enough for now to know that you’re not gonna do anything crazy. If Sugar Queen chews me out for bailing, then I’ll give it back to her. You’ve earned some alone time, Rogue,” Toph declared before leaving Abi to her own devices.

Relief flooded through Abi at the chance of finally being able to express herself on her own. It seemed like dealing with Toph was going to be the easiest part about Abi’s time around here. And based on the conversation that they just had, she could see them having a good time together.

“Rogue. I like it,” Abi smirked.

~*•°•*~

For the rest of the day, Abi tried her best to stay out of anyone’s way. She did manage to sneak off for a few minutes, but that had certainly not sat well with Katara who went on a rampage and was only calmed down by Hakoda. Based on the vibe that Abi was getting from the others, she was assuming that Katara was being more difficult than normal considering the way that they were reacting to her behaviour.

At night, Abi found herself lounging around the ruins of the Western Air Temple. Because Katara had insisted that she was watched 24/7 and nobody wanted to make her more unbearable than she already was, Sokka was keeping an eye on her. Though, he wasn’t really doing much of that since he seemed to be focusing more on his swordplay. With nothing else to do, Abi sat back and watched him train, taking notice of everything she did and making mental notes. He was clearly struggling, and based on her observations Abi could see why.

“You’re holding it wrong,” Abi corrected him.

“Gah!” Sokka exclaimed in surprise. He had known that she was around, but he wasn’t expecting her to be right where she was.

“For someone who’s supposed to be a warrior you sure don’t know how to keep it cool,” Abi remarked as she approached him. “Is this how you always react when you’re attacked?”

Sokka blushed, “I- no! I’m fearless! That’s why Suki loves me. She’s said that I’m –“

“Yeah, yeah. The bravest person that she’s ever met,” Abi interjected, having heard Suki praise Sokka more than enough. “I’ve heard her say that more times than I’d like to remember.”

“R-really? She talked about me?” Sokka stammered.

“ _All the time_. She really was convinced that you’d come rescue her, you know. I always said that she was stupid and being unrealistic but she kept her hopes up, even when Princess Azula tried to make her think otherwise. She never did give up on you. After all, I think that you were the only thing that was giving her hope,” Abi replied.

“Then I’m glad I could do something while doing nothing,” Sokka said.

“I guess in some way I should be thanking you then. Not just for busting me out of prison but for giving Ninja hope because she was the one who gave me hope. Without that I’d probably be even more of a mess then I am now. So thanks,” Abi muttered before realising that she’d let more slip than she wanted to, but Sokka didn’t seem to care or notice.

“Uh, you’re welcome. But you shouldn’t be thanking me. I wanted to leave you behind just as much as my sister did. The only reason I agreed to this was because of Suki,” Sokka admitted.

“I know, believe me. She told me that you wanted to leave me behind and I’m not surprised that you did. In fact, I would’ve been surprised if you’d just let me along for the ride with no trouble at all,” Abi remarked.

“It’s hard to say no to Suki…” Sokka trailed off.

“Believe me, I know that. Anyways, you were holding the sword wrong. You’re putting too much power into your strikes but not gripping it tightly enough. Any opponent could easily disarm you and make a fool out of you,” Abi said.

“What makes you such an expert on swordsmanship?” Sokka snapped.

“I just so happened to spend three years learning under the greatest swordsman and sword maker in Fire Nation history,” Abi declared.

Sokka’s eyes widened, “You learned from Piando too?”

Abi was taken back, “And you?”

“Well, not for three years but for a few days,” Sokka replied.

“My time with Piando wasn’t consistent, since I was only allowed to see him every summer until my official master decided that my training with him was no longer necessary,” Abi said, feeling the bitterness in her tone as she referred to Daisuke.

“We only ever saw you firebend though,” Sokka pointed out.

“Sometimes its better to keep your cards close so that your enemies do not know your battle secrets, which can in return give you the upper hand,” Abi stated. That was what she was doing by withholding the fact that she could now generate lightning. It was a skill that Abi would much rather keep to herself, so unless somebody asked her about it she wasn’t saying anything.

“How much do you know?” Sokka questioned.

“Enough to be considered a master,” Abi couldn’t help but boast. “When I wasn’t training with Piando or learning how to firebend, I was training myself in secret. Most of what I did learn was based on my own findings. Piando himself was surprised by how fast I seemed to improve in the few times that he saw me. The last time I trained with him he gave me the opportunity to make my own sword which remains my most prized possession.”

“This sword is one I made on my own too. It’s made out of a meteorite!” Sokka exclaimed.

“Impressive,” Abi commented.

“What’s your sword look like?” Sokka asked.

Abi sighed as she remembered that she no longer had her sword in her possession. It had most likely been taken off her after her battle with Azula and had probably been sold off somewhere or was being kept hidden. Abi doubted that she’d ever see it again.

“The blade of my sword was made form strong iron, making it semi-transparent and that gave it the colour of gold, like how your sword is black from the meteorite. The hilt was bright red and adorned with elegant jewels around the top, completely designed by me and crafted to perfection,” Abi explained wistfully.

“I guess you don’t have it on you anymore…” Sokka trailed off.

“Yeah, it was taken from me after I was put into prison. For all I know it could be anywhere, when it should be with me now,” Abi growled.

“I’ve been meaning to ask; how _did_ you get captured?” Sokka questioned and Abi’s face darkened. He immediately assumed that he had pushed too far.

“That’s a story for another day,” Abi mumbled darkly.

Without another word, Abi turned around and left Sokka standing there somewhat bewildered. The more he seemed to get from the firebender, the more there seemed to be to figure out. It was safe to say that there was definitely more to Abi than what he had originally thought.

As the memories of her crushing defeat at the hands of Azula filled her mind, Abi knew that she needed to take some time to herself. But before she could get any further, she found herself stopped by Katara. _Here we go again_.

“Just what exactly _are_ your intentions here, Abi?” Katara hissed.

“You wouldn’t even believe me regardless of what I told you,” Abi snapped.

“Try me,” Katara insisted.

“Okay, but I doubt my answer is going to satisfy you. I am only here because Ninja said she wanted me to be here. If I would’ve had it my way, I would have certainly not come all the way here. But because _your_ brother didn’t just want to release me into the wild, I had to come here. So if you want to blame anyone about me being here, blame him,” Abi answered.

“If you don’t want to be here then just leave!” Katara exclaimed.

Abi rolled her eyes, “Like you guys would just let me go like that. I’m not stupid. I know that you only want me here so that you can either make my life more miserable than it already is or because you don’t want me to really be free.”

“I hope you do feel miserable because people like you deserve to be miserable! And how dare you speak about Suki like you have the right to refer to her as a friend. She is _not_ your friend,” Katara growled.

“Then how come she said I am her friend?” Abi smirked.

“Because… she was lying! She was only lying to make you feel better!” Katara insisted.

“And you know her so well from the two times that you barely met each other,” Abi remarked.

“Ugh, wipe that ugly smirk off your stupid face! You shouldn’t have the right to go around acting all high and mighty like you’re better then us because you’re _not_. You’re nothing but ash maker scum!” Katara yelled.

“Oh, I didn’t think that someone like you could have such language,” Abi drawled.

“I can give you worse than that!” Katara snarled.

“Try me. If I had a bronze piece for every time someone called me an ash maker scum, I wouldn’t have even needed the rewards that came with capturing the Avatar,” Abi said.

“Ha! So you admit you’re here to capture Aang!” Katara smirked.

“Now who needs to wipe their ugly smirk off their face? And all I said was that I wouldn’t need the rewards that came with capturing the Avatar, not that I ever wanted to. You’re really searching desperately for reasons to hate me, aren’t you?” Abi challenged.

“I don’t need any reasons to hate you,” Katara seethed.

“Everyone else seems fine with me,” Abi shrugged.

“Well they should hate you too! You’re a monster, just like every other firebender out there! You’re no better than Princess Azula!” Katara snarled.

Any restraint that Abi was holding in or any enjoyment that she was getting from messing with Katara was taken away the moment she compared her to Azula. If there was one thing that Abi hated now more than ever, it was being compared to someone like Azula. Abi knew that she wasn’t like Azula. She had the morality to prove it.

“I’m _not_ like that crazy firebender,” Abi hissed, finding it incredibly harder to resist the urge to slam Katara down and put her in her place.

“But you were. You might think that you’re all high and mighty now but you’re not. You’re nothing but a disgraced firebender who’s lost _everything_ so now you’ve gone to the bottom of the barrel like the fame leech you are. But guess what? Once the war is over and we’ve won, you’re going right back to prison to face the consequences for the crimes you’ve committed,” Katara growled.

“Do you _want_ me to kill you?” Abi snapped.

“Is that a challenge?” Katara demanded.

“Fine! If that’s what you want and if it’ll get you off my back! Because I don’t need some snobby waterbender like you who think she’s better than anyone telling me who I am and who I’m not. I know who I am and you have no right to criticise my character or my intentions,” Abi proclaimed.

“Whatever,” Katara rolled her eyes. “We’ll duel at sunrise tomorrow on the south side of the temple where nobody can hear us.”

“You mean where nobody can hear your cries of pain,” Abi remarked, smirking at the glare she could feel coming from Katara.

Getting into conflict had certainly not been Abi’s intentions, but Katara had been the one to push her buttons and the waterbender should consider herself lucky that Abi didn’t completely lose it on her then and there. The last time that Abi had faced off against Katara in a duel Abi had handily won despite a few mental setbacks. This time Abi planned on having the same outcome just for her own satisfaction.

If Katara wanted a duel, then that was exactly what Abi was going to give her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s just so much fun leaving chapters off on one sentence like this cause it just adds more to the tension for me and there is certainly a lot of tension brewing between Abi and Katara. So I did technically decide to change Abi’s name, but it’s not a complete change since the spelling is just different. It’s loosely based on the Japanese word bi which is the same as hi and means fire.


	68. Drawing a Line

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m honestly so ready to finish this story right now, mostly so that I have the time to go back and edit it and so that I can get it out of the way. Even though it’s only been a year and a half, it feels like I’ve been on this story for a lot longer than that. I’m liking writing in third person now, since I get to show the other various POV’s like in this chapter where it’s necessary. Anyways, this chapter takes place in the same time period as the last one, so before the Southern Raiders.

As much as she didn’t want to admit to herself, Abi was nervous. She’d faced off against some of the most fiercest firebenders in the Fire Nation and held no fear towards them. Even after what Azula had done to her, Abi didn’t fear the Fire Nation Princess. But facing off against Katara was different, considering the fact that Abi was nowhere near in the shape that she should be for a battle that was surely going to get ugly.

Abi wasn’t exactly sure what Suki had told them, but it had obviously been enough to warrant sympathy from them since they had looked down on her with pity. Suki had reassured her that she hadn’t told them about her lowest points and the fact that she’d become a shadow of her former self. Just the fact that she hadn’t had it easy at the Boiling Rock. Whatever Suki had told them certainly hadn’t been enough to sway Katara’s thoughts on her, because the waterbender still looked at her as though she was the worst person on the planet.

Nevertheless, Abi wasn’t going to back down. After all, she had been the one to initiate their duel. How pathetic would it look if she was the one to back down before it even started after she made the offer? In Abi’s eyes, that would be even more pathetic than losing. Abi would rather lose than look like a coward, especially to the likes of Katara.

They had agreed on a spot to face off, far away from the others so that they wouldn’t interfere. Abi had no problem with there being no witnesses to their duel, since if she lost then at least nobody else would be able to see it.

Rising with the sun like she always did, Abi woke up at the crack of dawn and prepared herself for her face off with Katara. Since she hadn’t shown her face around that much, Abi was confident that nobody would go looking for her unless she was gone for too long. To Abi’s surprise, Katara was already waiting for her at the spot that they had agreed upon. There was plenty of water around for Katara to use in the fountain and stream and plenty of space for Abi to firebend, which made it the perfect spot for them to duel.

“Ah, there you are. I was beginning to think that you were going to back down,” Katara acknowledged her.

“I’d never back down from a fight. I’m no coward,” Abi stated.

“We’ll see,” Katara murmured. “So, you’re the professional fighter. How do you want to go about this?”

“First things first, _no cheap shots_. If there’s one thing that I hate when it comes to fighting, it’s when people do cheap shots. That’s not a real victory in my eyes. The person who loses is either the person who gets wounded first or surrenders. That’s how Agni Kai’s are usually resolved,” Abi said.

Katara nodded, “Sounds fair enough. But don’t count on me surrendering because much like you, I never know when to quit.”

“I would be insulted if you did surrender,” Abi remarked.

“Other than that, neither of us can hold back. We can display as much power and ferocity as we want to. Nothing is off limits,” Katara stated.

“Of course,” Abi nodded. “Nothing like a classic brawl to settle things.”

“Let’s do this,” Katara growled.

Those few moments before any duel started were always the most tense moments for Abi, and this one was no exception. She and Katara just glared at each other, almost daring the other to make the first move. They both seemed to grow tired of waiting for the other to do something, so they both charged towards each other at the same time, each displaying their own power and ferocity.

Fire clashed with water as Abi and Katara duelled, with both benders bending their respective element with fierce determination in an explosive battle for supremacy. This wasn’t unlike any battle that Abi had been in before, not even in her duels with Azula. That was because this was a battle that came from pure hatred. This was nothing about pride. It was about two people who hated each other both seeking dominance over the other.

No matter who Katara was, Abi wasn’t going to go easy on her. She was going to give it as much as she could and she was sure that Katara was going to do the same. Katara showed no restraint as she bended the water around her into spears of ice and sent them hurling towards Abi, who protected herself by punching a powerful blast of fire at them. Water might be able put out fire, but fire could certainly melt ice.

“It’s going to take a little bit more than that, Damsel!” Abi yelled, hoping to use a little bit of psychological warfare on Katara.

With a lunge forward, Abi bended an arc of fire underneath her and sent it towards Katara who avoided it by skating away using her waterbending. Abi broke her path by summoning as much power as she could to vaporise it. Only truly powerful firebending could vaporise water, and Abi’s firebending had certainly grown more power after her visit to the Sun Warriors Temple. She had Ran and Shaw to thank for that.

Abi created two fire whips and launched them at Katara, who defended herself using her water tentacles. They both bended their arms made up of their element, each hoping for the same result. At one point, Abi launched her fire whips at Katara before she had enough time to protect herself entirely, which sent her tumbling backwards. Even though it was only the early stages of their duel, Abi seemed to have the upper hand. But she wasn’t going to get too over-confident now. She needed to be confident, but not to the point where it clouded her judgement.

On the other hand, Katara was just focusing on finally putting Abi in her place where she belonged. Katara summoned a pillar of ice, which she used to send ice discs at her opponent who blocked them with her agility. Abi remembered Katara using the same technique the last time that they faced off, but just like everything else, there was something different about how she was using her bending.

The waterbender then joined two streams of water together, encircling herself and Abi in a ring of water. The firebender propelled herself into the air using her fire jets and landed on the ground doing a flawless roll before summoning the fire from her jets and aiming it at Katara who bent up an ice wall out of defence. The impact of Abi’s fire was enough to shatter Katara’s ice wall, causing a few shards of ice to ricochet at her, leaving her with a few scratches from her own defence.

 _Come on, Katara. You’ve gotta give it a lot more than that. Make her feel the pain that she made you feel._ Katara thought to herself.

That was a rookie mistake on Katara’s part, something that only beginner waterbenders do. She should’ve known better than to use _ice_ against a firebender who could easily break it into millions of tiny pieces. She won’t be making that mistake again.

If anything, part of the reason why Katara hated Abi so much was because of how she had treated her specifically in the past. Her leg had managed to heal in time after Abi had burned her, but the incident had still left a bitter taste in Katara’s mouth. She was going to make sure that Abi felt the same pain that she had felt after being burned. Abi _deserved_ to feel the same pain that Katara had already felt from the Fire Nation. It was about time that justice was served.

Their focus remained entirely on each other, both still determined to win like they were at the beginning. Katara had resorted to using her octopus form as a method of attacking, using the tentacles to try and grab Abi, who easily evaded them. The firebending prodigy was certainly light on her feet, much like how Aang was. But Abi was nothing like Aang. She could never be anything like Aang.

It was safe to say that Katara had certainly improved since their last duel. Then again, Katara had already improved then as well. Based on what Abi could remember, Katara could barely waterbend in the early days of her travels with the Avatar. But after learning at the North Pole, she’s obviously qualified to be called a master. There was definitely something about the way that Katara performed her waterbending that was different than any other time that Abi could recall. She was far more fierce and determined now. There was no restraint in her, nothing to hold back.

That was what gave Abi the confidence to do just that, unleashing her true power and ferocity against the waterbender. Just like Katara, Abi had also improved after learning from the Sun Warriors. Learning the true meaning of firebending had certainly empowered her bending, making it more raw and precises. That was able to help Abi now, since she used her powerful blasts of fire to cut of Katara’s octopus tentacles, rendering her defenceless again.

But Katara was quick to act, conjuring a large wave of water and sending it straight at Abi, who rolled to the side and blasted herself into the air using her fire jets. She kicked the fire that was propelling herself down at Katara, who used her waterbending to protect herself. As Abi moved with her fire jets, Katara conjured a large arm of water and flung it towards Abi, allowing her to grab hold of the firebender in mid-flight. Abi barely had time to register what had happened until she felt her body slamming onto the ground.

Wincing as she got up, Abi felt the pain in her lower abdomen from her wounds that were yet to heal properly. It probably wasn’t a good idea to get into a fight when she was still like this, but Abi refused to surrender. Surrendering was for cowards and Abi was by no means a coward.

“Had enough yet?” Katara smirked.

“You’d like to think so!” Abi growled.

Determined to win, Abi stretched her arms out wide, creating enormous whips of fire as she did so. Abi then swung her arm down along with the fire whip, purposefully landing them right beside Katara to catch her off balance. Once Katara was reeling back, Abi planned on delivering the final blow and finishing this duel while she still could.

But Katara was able to catch her balance and using waterbending, she propelled herself into the air to avoid Abi’s attacks. She landed on the ground with ease before focusing back on her target. They’d been duelling for almost half an hour now, and Katara had a few scratches to show for it while Abi hardly had anything. That made Katara even more enraged and determined to finish Abi off.

Fuelled by her determination, Katara summoned a wave of water and sent it straight at Abi to knock her off her feet, but Abi simply vaporised it with a large blast of fire. With Katara disarmed, Abi gathered the remnants of her fire that were scattered around and used them to fuel a large blast of fire that intertwined to form a pointy tip aimed right at Katara. To dodge it, Katara summoned a wave of water to launch herself away.

That only angered Abi even more, who was getting more and more tired by the minute. She wasn’t in any prime condition to be duelling anyone, but she was still going to give it her best shot. Driven by anger, Abi sent fire blast after fire blast at Katara who shielded herself using waterbending. When Abi took the slightest pause, Katara took that as her chance to summon an enormous amount of water and froze parts of it before launching it as hard as she could at Abi.

The water was powerful. More powerful than any of Katara’s previous attempts. It’s impact was enough to send Abi flying backwards until she came into contact with a large stone wall. This impact left a painful feeling inside of Abi, and she wasn’t sure how much more she could put up with. She could feel the pain spreading throughout her abdomen and knew that it was from the impact of the stone. It felt worse near her scar more than anyone else, and Abi knew that if she continued any further that there was a possibility that she could end up even worse for wear than how she was now, and that she’d be forced to expose herself to these people which would mean showing her scars, allowing them to see her weakness.

Surrendering was never something that Abi wanted to do, but she would rather have them think of her as pathetic for losing a duel instead of having them see the scars adorned on her body. Those scars were for her eyes and her eyes only – nobody else had the right to see them. So reluctantly, Abi pulled herself back up and walked straight past Katara, refusing to look her in the eyes as she bowed her head in shame.

“Hey! Get back here, this isn’t finished!” Katara yelled.

“Yes, it is,” Abi snapped.

“So much for not surrendering! You really are a coward!” Katara tried getting Abi to fight back, but to no avail.

It was disappointing for their duel to end this way, because Katara still had plenty more left in her tank and she would’ve thought that it was the same for Abi, but obviously not. Never in a million years did Katara think that the other girl would surrender from a fight, so Katara couldn’t help but wonder what had prompted her to bow out.

As she watched Abi walk away, Katara couldn’t help but notice the way she limped as she walked before realising that the other girl had to have been in pain. Perhaps Katara had been a little _too_ harsh in the way that she had so ruthlessly slammed Abi against the rocky stone.

 _No you weren’t. She would’ve done worse to you without mercy!_ The evil voice in Katara’s head that reminded her so much of Hama thought. Ever since her encounter with the wicked women who had used waterbending to control other peoples bodies, Katara had been having dark thoughts like that about her enemies. Those poisonous thoughts had made her wonder what it would be like to use that technique on her enemies – two of which were living right under her nose.

But that was exactly what Hama would want Katara to think, and Katara liked to think that she was _nothing_ like that sick old woman who took joy in controlling other peoples bodies. Katara wasn’t sure if it was the healer part of her talking or not, but she suddenly found herself having the surprising urge to check on Abi and see if she was okay.

It certainly wasn’t because she cared about her or anything. Absolutely not.

~*•°•*~

Walking back to her designated room, Abi felt a cloud of shame hanging over her head. For the first time in her life, she had surrendered and it felt humiliating. Daisuke had always taught her that only cowards surrendered and that you either won or lost. As much as Abi hated the way that he had taught her, she had to agree with him there because what kind of weakling surrendered a battle that _they_ had initiated? Not only had Abi herself taken a hit today, but her pride had as well.

Upon entering her room, Abi slammed the door shut behind her as a way of expressing her anger before kicking the ground as well. She was angry at herself for a lot of reasons – like  for surrendering, showing her weakness and allowing Katara to get the better of her. Now Abi was going to have to put up with Katara’s gloating for however long she remained here. That definitely wasn’t what she needed.

Pain was surging through Abi’s abdomen, so she carefully lifted up her shirt and groaned upon seeing the bruise that was now joined with her scar. That blasted scar that would forever be a mark of shame. There were still a few other smaller scars that remained on Abi’s stomach from her time in prison. Most of which would probably heal over time, but her scar from Azula would always be a permanent reminder as to how much Abi had single-handily fucked up her life.

The sound of footsteps caught her attention, and Abi quickly put her shirt down in case whoever it was decided to enter her room. She couldn’t let _anyone_ see her scars. When the sound of the footsteps ceased, Abi knew that whoever had walked by hadn’t gone far because she was fairly certain that somebody was waiting on the other side of the door because of the shadow that was peeking through the doors gap.

“Whoever you are, I can see your shadow underneath the door. So are you gonna show yourself or what?” Abi snapped.

After a few seconds of silence, the door opened and Abi was surprised to see _Katara_ of all people standing there. She was probably here to gloat about her victory and rub it in. Great. Just what Abi needed.

“Here to gloat?” Abi crossed her arms.

Katara sighed, “No, I’m not.”

“Then why are you here?” Abi narrowed her eyes.

“Because when you walked away… I noticed that you were limping. I want to see if you were alright,” Katara replied.

“You wanted to see if I was alright after you did that to me?” Abi drawled.

Katara cringed, “I realise that it’s kind of hypocritical. But I can’t let someone walk away from me when their injured in good conscience. Especially when I’m the cause of their pain.”

Abi found herself remembering Nukka’s words from the North Pole _._ _I can’t let you go in good conscience knowing that you’re injured._ What was it with healers and giving people compassion when they really shouldn’t?

“Any pain that you gave me is probably deserved. You should feel satisfied knowing that you caused me pain,” Abi said.

“Believe it or not, Abi, I never take joy from hurting people. I don’t like hurting people – even my enemies,” Katara admitted.

“You seemed perfectly happy to hurt me just then,” Abi remarked.

“Okay, I was wrong to do that,” Katara grimaced. “It’s just that, I was _so_ angry at you. Very rarely do I allow my anger to take control of me, and that’s exactly what I allowed to happen just then. No matter how much I might hate you and think you deserve to suffer, it was wrong of me to want to hurt you.”

“Even when I deserved it? Besides, I’ve already suffered enough in the past few months so you really should consider us even. Or would it make you feel better to watch me suffer yourself?” Abi wondered.

“No, of course not! I’m not that kind of person. I _hate_ people who take joy in watching others suffer,” Katara replied.

“But you still wanted to hurt me, regardless of what you believe to be right or wrong. I only challenged you to get you off my back, but you seemed to be more focused on hurting me than anything else,” Abi argued.

“You’re making it really hard for me to feel sorry for you right now,” Katara growled.

“Good, because I don’t _want_ anyone to feel sorry for me. I don’t want or need anybody’s pity because pity is for suckers and I’m not a sucker. So why don’t you save your pity for somebody who’s pathetic enough to take it?” Abi snapped.

“You’re the pathetic one for walking away like you did instead of letting me beat you fair and square,” Katara snarled.

“Ah, there’s that hatred I knew you felt for me,” Abi smirked, feeling satisfied in a strange way for making Katara angry at her. “As much as you say that you don’t like seeing people suffer, you can’t deny that you’ve wanted that for me. In my eyes, that makes you just as bad as someone who relishes in making people suffer.”

“You’re one to talk with your messed up morality!” Katara exclaimed.

Abi shrugged, “Maybe I am, maybe I’m not. But you can’t deny that you wanted to see me in pain and that that is what you were trying to accomplish. So don’t give me the fake pity that you’re feeling when it’s only because of your natural instincts and that it’s shallow comfort because _you_ did this.”

“Do you take pride in having people hate you? Because it almost seems like you want me to hate you,” Katara snapped.

“If having you hate me gets you away from me then yes, I’d rather you hate me,” Abi nodded.

“Ugh! You’re infuriating!” Abi yelled.

Like the behaviour of a child, Katara stomped her foot down angrily before stalking off, shooting Abi one last glare before she disappeared past the corner in the hallway. Her behaviour was amusing to Abi, who found it funny how Katara could go from showing some form of compassion to completely hating her guts in a few moments. Granted, it was partly because Abi had wanted that reaction from her, but still.

Now that Katara was gone, Abi could go back to being on her own without anyone else hovering over her – just how she liked it. At least until someone else came around to bother her.

~*•°•*~

Abi didn’t show her face to anyone else until it was time for dinner that night. After the insistence of Suki, Abi had gone to join the others for the meal. She didn’t plan on actually eating with them, so she sat as far away as she could. But that seemed to be fine with Suki, so that was what Abi went with.

Though it wasn’t long before Abi found herself joined by someone else, with that someone else being Toph. If it wasn’t Katara, Abi didn’t care who came to approach her because the last thing that she wanted was to deal with the feisty waterbender right now.

“So, did you and Sugar Queen get it out of your systems earlier?” Toph asked.

Abi snapped her head around, “She gloated to you, huh?”

“No, she didn’t tell me anything. I could feel you two getting it on from my room,” Toph replied, and Abi nearly choked on her food at her choice of wording. “What?”

“Nothing, just the way you phrased that sentence isn’t exactly how I’d phrase it,” Abi mumbled.

“Doesn’t bother me,” Toph shrugged. “Anyways, did Sugar Queen beat you up enough to stop being a drama queen?”

Abi rolled her eyes, “She didn’t ‘beat’ me up. We just duelled. It was an even fight.”

“Who won?” Toph asked eagerly.

“I forfeited,” Abi avoided her gaze.

“What? _You_ quit?” Toph exclaimed, baffled. “You didn’t strike me as the quitting type, Rogue.”

“I’m not. But in case you haven’t noticed, I’m not exactly in my prime right now,” Abi admitted.

“Yeah, I wasn’t gonna say anything but you do seem pretty weak. Definitely not how I remember you or how they’ve described you,” Toph remarked.

Abi scoffed, “And let me guess, the way that they describe me was as a ruthless, psychopathic and sadistic bitch?”

“Those words were among their descriptions,” Toph nodded.

“Well, I pride myself on being a bitch. I can be pretty ruthless when the time calls, I still do have a few sadistic but justified tendencies and I wouldn’t consider myself a psychopath – at least not anymore. I’m not Princess Azula,” Abi growled.

“You certainly aren’t. I’m pretty sure that psycho doesn’t even know the difference between right and wrong. You at least have some form of a moral compass, no matter how twisted it might be,” Toph noted.

“Try telling that to your Sugar Queen,” Abi grumbled.

“You’ll get used to her. She was pretty aggravating when I first joined, but I can put up with her now,” Toph said.

“You can ‘put up with her’ when you’re not even enemies? Man, she’s _never_ gonna warm up to me,” Abi remarked.

“Probably. The least you can do is prove her wrong. You at least have my unwavering support because I can sense your sincerity. I might not be able to tell if you’re telling the truth or not, but I know that you’re being sincere and to me that’s enough,” Toph insisted.

“Thanks,” Abi muttered.

Having had enough of their company for now, Abi got up and handed her empty plate back to the others. Although they certainly weren’t having any five-star meals, the food here was still a million times better than the junk that they were fed at the Boiling Rock.

Abi’s departure didn’t go unnoticed by Katara who immediately got up and followed after her. Her lack of subtlety wasn’t missed by the rest of the group, who all braced themselves for a potentially ugly argument. But Katara had no intentions of starting another fight with Abi. She wanted to get to the bottom of why she found Abi so aggregating, even more so than Zuko. There was just something about the firebending prodigy that riled her up, and Katara wanted to know what it was so that she could put a stop to it.

“Hey, wait,” Katara called out to her.

Abi groaned, “Here to yell at me again?”

“No, I’m going to see if we can actually have a civil conversation,” Katara stated.

“You’re the one who’s the problem here, because I have no problem talking to you despite the fact that I was raised to talk to anyone like you as if they were garbage,” Abi said.

Katara’s eyebrow twitched in anger, “Let’s not go down that road again. We can call a truce which means we don’t have to yell and scream at each other but we certainly don’t have to act like best buddies. I don’t see myself ever referring to you as a friend.”

“The feelings mutual,” Abi remarked.

“But I am willing to treat you as civilly as I can. That won’t mean that I forgive you by any means because I still believe that you’re a horrible person but I suppose I should be inclined to believe that people can change,” Katara stated as she stepped forward. “But I’m going to tell you _exactly_ what I told Zuko when he first joined us. If you even make a single step out of line or do anything to jeopardise our mission, I _will_ finish you off. Nobody can hurt those close to me and expect to get away with it. Not after how we’ve been hurt so many times by people like _you_.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less from you, Damsel. But you should know that just because I am Fire Nation doesn’t mean that I’m immune from the sufferings of war. I’ve suffered, just like you have. I spent over a hundred days in the Fire Nation’s worst prison for Agni’s sake. I’ve experienced far more than you could ever know so don’t even _think_ for a second that you know me because you most certainly don’t,” Abi narrowed her eyes.

“Then it’s agreed. From now on we’ll be cordial but that doesn’t mean that we have to like each other. I’m certainly not going to kiss your feet like you’d want me to,” Katara said.

Abi scoffed, “I don’t even like people kissing my feet. It’s unsanitary. But as long as you hold up to your end of the bargain, I won’t step out of line and you won’t have to worry about me.”

Katara nodded, “Fine with me.”

With that, the two benders parted ways, each sparing the other a wonderous glance when the other wasn’t looking. In Abi’s perspective, it was strange of Katara to offer her this kind of ‘truce’ since as far as she had heard, she’d done nothing like this with Zuko. But maybe it came from the fact that Abi was definitely a lot more dangerous than Prince Hothead and was a lot more difficult to tame. That seemed like the most logical explanation in Abi’s eyes. But she intended on holding up to her deal as long as Katara did the same. Although she secretly wasn’t expecting the duel to last long.

As for Katara, the reason why she had initiated the truce with Abi was because she was hoping that it would make the firebender a lot more tolerable to be around. Even though Katara was completely against her being here, it didn’t seem like she’d be getting outvoted anytime soon, so for now she was just going to play along and wait for Abi to snap. Because as soon as she did, Katara would be taking care of her like she wished she’d done in the past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter ended up going in a different direction compared to what I had planned. The duel between Abi and Katara was always going to happen, but the rest of the chapter didn’t turn out how I had planned it. I had the truce with Abi and Katara coming from a different place, but I felt like it was too soon for anything like that. But ugh, fight scenes are always so hard to write which results in me resorting to using the transcripts of the episodes which would explain why some of the fighting moves are repeated because I can’t think of or write anything else on my own. I’m looking forward to writing the next chapter cause it’s something else that I’ve always been thinking of writing for this story and now I finally get to write it.


	69. Lessons to be Learned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place in the same period as the last few, so before the Southern Raiders but the story will be getting back on track next chapter.

Fitting into ‘Team Avatar’ as they called themselves had certainly been easier than Abi would’ve expected. Her biggest challenge had been putting up with Katara’s stink-eye and her constant attitude. As for the others, they had been relatively welcoming towards her, but Abi wasn’t oblivious to the fact that they were still being cautious around her.

Everyone seemed to have a role around here. Katara spent most of her time doing the cleaning and making meals alongside Aang and Suki, Sokka and Zuko gathered most of their supplies – which Aang also helped with, Toph went out of her way to do nothing, Hakoda acted as a father figure for everyone else besides his own children, Haru, Teo and the Duke usually went off to do their own thing while Abi and Chit Sang stayed clear of everyone else.

Things between Abi and Katara weren’t exactly ‘better’ after their impromptu duel. They weren’t exactly worse, but not better either. Abi had noticed how Katara didn’t exactly look at her with pure hatred, but instead with an emotion that Abi couldn’t quite distinguish. She wasn’t sure if it was pity, but whatever it was she didn’t care. She couldn’t care less about what Katara thought of her. The only persons opinion who mattered on herself was Abi, and she was slowly warming up to the idea of her not being a completely horrible person at Suki’s insistence.

“Are you guys leaving now?” Toph asked impatiently as Sokka and Zuko got ready to leave with Hakoda. The earthbender had insisted that the two go on a fishing trip and get some real meat, since that wasn’t what they did on their last fishing trip that ended up being their rescue mission.

“Yes, we’re going,” Sokka replied as he and Zuko gathered their supplies as Hakoda watched on. It was clear that the Water Tribe chief was still wary of their new Fire Nation additions, which was why he had volunteered to join them.

“You guys just better bring back more than friendship and fatherhood because that’s cute and all, but not edible,” Toph remarked.

“Aang, remember to continue your firebending training while we’re gone,” Zuko reminded the young Avatar from afar.

“Of course, Sifu Hotman,” Aang called out to Zuko from where he was sitting while Zuko cringed at the nickname. “Twenty sets of fire fists and ten hot squats every time I hear a badger frog croak.”

Abi scoffed, “Only twenty? I had to do thirty of _both_ after every firebending move I did in my training. You really are going easy on him.”

Zuko narrowed his eyes, “I’d like to see you try and train Aang.”

“You say that like it’s a challenge,” Abi remarked.

“You have no idea how hard it is to train a beginner in firebending. Especially when that beginner is the Avatar and hardly has any restraint when it comes to focus,” Zuko insisted.

“No wonder he’s hardly made any progress with his training then. How could he, when he has someone like you as his teacher?” Abi smirked.

“Like you could do a better job,” Zuko snapped.

“I probably could,” Abi crossed her arms.

“Then why don’t you?” Zuko challenged.

“Is that a challenge?” Abi asked, hoping that it wasn’t. On the list of things that she didn’t like, training people less competent than her was high up there. She’d never liked teaching people, and she certainly didn’t want to train Aang.

“It is,” Zuko confirmed with a nod. “If you can make Aang become a better firebender in the time that I’m gone, I’ll make sure that nobody bothers you again after the war. I’ll even get you a pardon.”

“What if I don’t want to?” Abi wondered.

“I’ll still get you a pardon, but your reputation will be damaged because of the fact that you couldn’t even teach the Avatar how to firebend. That, and you’ll have to do the rest of my work for the entirety of the time that you spend with us,” Zuko offered.

Abi scoffed, “You should know that I don’t waste my time on people less competent than me, Prince Hothead. I wouldn’t even waste my time on you, which I won’t.”

“Then I’ll tell them about the Palace visit,” Zuko threatened.

“You wouldn’t dare, because if you did, I’ll tell them how you got that pretty little scar on your face,” Abi returned the threat.

The Palace incident was referring to the time when Abi was eleven and Daisuke had once again forced her to visit the Royal Family. Since Daisuke always wanted her to look her best at any visit, he had hired a so-called ‘professional’ to get her ready. That professional had burned off half of her hair but of course Daisuke had still forced her to go which had resulted in a night of ridicule from Azula about her hair. Although it was just her hair, it had certainly been an embarrassing moment and Abi certainly didn’t want people to have any other reason to laugh at her.

“You’d be saving me the trouble and besides, they’d find out eventually,” Zuko shrugged. “They won’t know about your iconic hair mess, unless I tell them.”

“Even me with half of my hair burned off was a better look than that ridiculous ponytail you wore for months,” Abi remarked.

Zuko grimaced, “Yeah, that was another regrettable choice on my behalf. But still, them knowing about your burned off hair would ruin your reputation in their eyes even more.”

“My reputation is already ruined enough,” Abi pointed out.

“You just don’t want to do it because you know you won’t be able to do it. Wait until they hear this – you giving up,” Zuko argued.

Abi groaned, “Ugh, fine! I’ll accept your challenge if it’ll get you to quit nagging me.”

“Then it’s agreed. You’ll train Aang in my absence and if you can get him to improve, I’ll hold up to my end of the original bargain,” Zuko stated.

“Whatever,” Abi muttered.

“And try not to terrify the kid. He was already terrified enough when I first started teaching him. I don’t need to go back to square one,” Zuko said.

“Why would he need to be scared of me?” Abi smirked.

“Many, many reasons,” Zuko mumbled.

For a moment, Abi felt a twinge of pride knowing that just herself alone would be enough to instil fear in the almighty-powerful Avatar. Then again, this Avatar was just a kid, but Abi prided herself on being able to make anyone fear her. She liked having that affect on people, and it was nice to know that she still had it.

Unfortunately she wouldn’t be able to use her intimidating personality against the Avatar if she wanted him to listen to her. Though maybe she could still use fear to get him to do what she wanted to… Either way, it looked like Abi had a training session to prepare for and for her sake, she hoped she could put up with the Avatar’s nonsense.

~*•°•*~

If you had asked Katara who she thought would be Aang’s firebending teacher several months ago, she never would’ve said who it turned out to be. In all honesty, she didn’t expect them to find _any_ teacher considering the Avatar’s infamy in the Fire Nation. She had expected them to resort to teaching Aang on his own without a teacher. Then, Zuko showed up offering his services on a silver platter. Soon after him came Abi, who Katara would’ve never expected to offer her services. She would’ve expected Zuko before her.

Accepting Abi into the group had been hard for Katara. She was still warming up to the idea of Zuko joining them. But since it didn’t look like Katara was going to garner support any time soon, she had reluctantly accepted the two firebenders who had once been their enemies.

Following her duel with Abi, Katara wasn’t sure what to think of the aggravating firebender. Given the way that she had surrendered, Katara knew that she was up to something. There was no way that Abi would’ve surrendered unless she had another motive. Not knowing what it was had certainly aggravated Katara even more. Despite what had been an apparent victory, Katara hadn’t told anyone about their duel. Only because she knew that they would’ve blamed her for starting it.

“I’ve noticed that you’ve been a bit more civil towards Abi since yesterday,” Suki stated as the three remaining girls sat together.

“We’ve just come to a mutual agreement to stay away from each other, that’s all. I wouldn’t call it being civil,” Katara remarked.

“I wish I could see her training Twinkle Toes now. She’s probably harsher than me – and that’s saying something,” Toph commented.

“I still think it’s a bad idea to let her train Aang. I mean, what if she loses her temper and lashes out on him? Someone should definitely be watching them – just in case,” Katara murmured.

“Katara, he’ll be fine,” Suki reassured her. “Although I can’t understand her sudden interest in teaching Aang, I know that she doesn’t intend to hurt him. Terrify him, maybe. But not hurt him.”

“It’s cause she made a bet with Sparky to see who can teach him better,” Toph supplied.

“At least this way Aang can learn different types of firebending. That’ll be good for when he faces the Fire Lord, right?” Suki reasoned.

Katara sighed, “I guess so.”

Trusting Aang in the hands of firebenders certainly hadn’t come easy to Katara. She had spent the entire time of their visit to the Sun Warriors pacing and worrying. Even though Aang was just on the other side with Abi, she still felt those same nerves.

“You know what, I’m just going to go for a walk to clear my mind. I’ll catch up with you guys later,” Katara said as she got up.

Glancing at Toph, Katara could see that the earthbender knew that she wasn’t being honest with her intentions despite not making any comments on them. Katara would certainly be going for a walk, but only to the other side of the temple so that she could watch this training session. That way, if things went bad – which she hoped they would – Katara could intervene before they got out of hand.

Upon finding the spot where she knew they would be training, Katara remained hidden so that she wouldn’t be seen. This wouldn’t be her first time spying on one of Aang’s firebending lessons. When Aang had first started his training with Zuko, she’d asked Sokka to keep an eye on them since she couldn’t bring herself to watch. But then Sokka had insisted that there was no need to watch them, so Katara did the watching on her own in secret.

To Katara’s surprise, Aang was there on his own as he did his hot squats. Abi was nowhere in sight, but Katara knew that the firebender had to be somewhere. She just didn’t know where. Then, out of nowhere, there she was.

“SHOW ME YOUR BREATH OF FIRE!”

Her sudden appearance had almost come out of nowhere. One minute there was nothing, and the next she was there. It was clear that Aang had been caught off guard by this, given how he stumbled back in surprise. Even Katara had been unable to hold herself together with Abi’s unexpected appearance. All Aang could do was sit on the ground in shock.

“Well? What are you waiting for? A lightning strike? _Do it!_ ” Abi demanded, balling up her fists and bending over for intimidation.

Aang was certainly intimidated as he struggled to find his footing before responding, “But I don’t-“

“Propel yourself into the air!” Abi ordered.

“Huh?” Aang blinked in confusion.

Abi slapped her forehead, “Airbenders aren’t the only ones who can use their bending to fly! Use firebending to do just that!”

“I can’t!” Aang exclaimed.

“Of course you can’t,” Abi drawled as she crossed her arms, presenting herself in a much more calmer way. “Jet propulsion is one of the most advanced firebending moves there is, as is the breath of fire. But since the Dragon of the West taught Prince Hothead how to do that, I would’ve expected him to teach you it as well. Knowing your breath of fire could save your life!”

To demonstrate, Abi sucked in a breath before releasing a powerful breath of fire. Only a few firebenders could actually breathe fire, and Abi was one of the few who could.

“That’s cool,” Aang awed.

“Firebending is _not_ cool, Avatar! In fact, it is the exact _opposite_! Fire is the element of power. You feel that power surging through your veins before you allow your breath to release it. One can only imagine what that power must feel like with Sozin’s Comet. Just imagine it one hundred times more powerful than _this_ ,” Abi created red fireballs in her hands, with them reaching the top of her head.

“Gah,” Aang stepped backwards in fear.

Abi ceased her firebending as she waved her arms around before interlacing her fingers together and stretching. Aang was impressed by how much control she had over her bending which wasn’t necessarily something that Zuko lacked, just something that he wasn’t proficient in.

“Now, let us begin,” Abi declared. “Tell me, Avatar. What is it that you know about firebending?”

“Before we begin, I just want you to know that you can call me Aang,” Aang piped up.

“You have not earned the right for me to call you by name, Avatar. Until that time, I will simply refer to you as…” Abi trailed off as she tried finding a substitute for him. “Arrows.”

“I’ll take it,” Aang nodded. It was a better nickname than Twinkle Toes, after all.

“Now, tell me what you know about firebending,” Abi said.

“Firebending came from the dragons. The first people to learn from them were the ancient Sun Warriors who died off thousands of years ago,” Aang replied, hiding the fact that the Sun Warriors civilisation was still alive. Unbeknownst to him, Abi already knew that.

“Correct,” Abi nodded as she sat on a nearby rock, her gaze lingering on a nearby pillar where she caught a flash of blue. “Is that all Prince Hothead has taught you?”

“No, he’s taught me that firebending isn’t something to be feared and that it’s something to be respected. He’s taught me that firebenders rise with the sun, which sucks,” Aang groaned.

“You get used to it, Arrows,” Abi remarked. She had hated rising with the sun for the longest time, but now it only came naturally to her. “But rising with the sun also teaches you discipline. Of all the bending arts, firebending is the one in which you need the most discipline to master. After all, firebending is the most unique of the bending arts.”

Aang narrowed his eyes, “Because it’s the most destructive?”

“No,” Abi shook her head. “Haven’t you seen enough to know that every element is just as destructive as the other? Sure, you can burn to death with firebending. But you can also be crushed by earth, loss of air can render you onto deaths doorstep and our own bodies are like skins filled with liquid that can be used against us.”

Behind the pillar where she was hiding, Katara’s eyes widened as Abi’s words reached her. What she had said last was almost _exactly_ the same words that Hama had used while describing bloodbending to her. Dare she even think it, had Abi encountered the wicked old woman too?

“Firebending is the most unique of the bending arts because it is the only discipline in which the bender can create it at will. Of course, you need to have drive to fuel your fire because otherwise your firebending is hardly bending at all. Air is all around you, Avatar, which I’m sure is helpful to you. The waterbenders are limited to rivers or the ocean, but in the right environment they can control the water in plants and in thin air. Of course, there is the water inside us as well. Then there are the earthbenders who can manipulate the earth, sand and even metal to their advantage. I believe your earthbender is even proficient in those areas,” Abi explained.

Aang nodded, “Toph is the first person to use metalbending.”

“But firebenders are not restricted to their surroundings unless the temperatures are skewed drastically. We have the ability to create life and beauty. We have power inside of us. Fire is naturally the hardest of the bending disciplines to control which is why firebenders need to master discipline. It is fires nature to consume and spread which is why firebenders have to learn how to control their breath,” Abi finished.

“That’s nice and all, but when are you gonna teach me how to actually firebend?” Aang asked.

Abi rolled her eyes, “I see you are impatient, much like myself, Avatar. Here is a reminder to _not_ test my patience. Before I can teach you anything, I need to know what you need to learn. So show me what you can do.”

Taking a deep breath, Aang readied himself before he started performing the Dancing Dragon. As far as Aang was aware, only he and Zuko knew the ancient firebending form along with their friends who he had shown it too. Besides, the chances were that Abi wouldn’t even know what it was.

Sitting in her position, Abi’s eyes widened as she recognised the movements form the Dancing Dragon. It seemed as though that the Avatar had also visited the Sun Warriors civilisation, which was probably why he knew that the Sun Warriors were the ones who learned firebending and that they were now extinct. It was no surprise to Abi that Aang would withdrew that information from her, since he still had to be wary of her true allegiance.

Once he finished the Dancing Dragon, Aang performed a few quick fire jabs and blasts to show Abi what he knew. Even though Aang knew that he was nowhere near on her level of mastery, Aang still hoped to impress the renowned firebender. Upon finishing his movements, Aang nervously turned to face Abi’s judgement. The worst she could do was tell him that he was awful, and Aang knew that he wasn’t awful.

“Not bad, for a beginner,” Abi commented. Coming from her, Aang assumed that was a compliment and he took it with great pride.

“That means a lot, coming from you,” Aang stated.

“Of course it does,” Abi smirked. “But don’t let one half-compliment get to your head, Avatar. You still have a _lot_ to learn if you are to even stand a chance against Fire Lord Ozai. Do not even think for a second that the man will show you an _ounce_ of mercy. He didn’t even show his own family mercy. He will have no problem with murdering a twelve-year-old kid.”

Aang grimaced, “You’ve met him, haven’t you?”

“Yes, I have. He is not an opponent to be messed with, Avatar. He is easily considered the most powerful firebender in the world. People aspire to be like him – even though they shouldn’t,” Abi remarked.

“What can you teach me?” Aang asked.

“A lot, actually. I can teach you how to unleash your inner fire and how to control your fire. I can tell you how to restrain yourself and give you glory, and even put an end to someone’s life which is something that you must know if you are to face Fire Lord Ozai,” Abi leaned forward. “That being said, get in your horse stance!”

Doing as told, Aang got into the horse stance position as he prepared himself for what was to come next. He had no doubt that Abi was going to be a difficult instructor.

“Widen your legs!” Abi ordered, and Aang groaned upon hearing the familiar words that had come from his first firebending teacher. Nevertheless, he did as told. Only it wasn’t enough to satisfy Abi. “Wider.”

 _Not again_. Aang thought to himself.

“Did I stutter? I said _WIDER!”_ Abi demanded as she got off her rock.

“Yes, Master Jeong-Jeong,” Aang muttered.

Abi’s eyes twitched in anger, “Don’t you know who you’re talking to, Avatar? I am Abi – the Dragoness. _Not_ Master Jeong-Jeong. What would you even know about the man anyways?”

“He was my first firebending teacher and all he ever did was leave me alone for hours to concentrate and breathe. And of course he made me bend my knees until I couldn’t feel my thighs anymore,” Aang grumbled.

“You learned from Master Jeong-Jeong, the Deserter? The former Fire Nation Admiral considered to be a genius in the sacred art of firebending?” Abi clarified.

“Uh-huh,” Aang mumbled. “He was hardly a genius to me. How was making me feel the sun supposed to teach me how to firebend?”

“Do you realise how _lucky_ you are to have learned from such a firebending icon? Admiral Jeong-Jeong was such a legend that people even considered him to be a myth! It’s such a shame that the fool did something as pathetic as deserting. Then again, I’m probably not one to talk since I did exactly that,” Abi ranted.

“He hardly taught me anything!” Aang exclaimed.

“You insolent, ungrateful, little – ugh!” Abi lunged forward in anger, fire coming out from her fists. She thrusted them down out of anger before connecting her hands once again. “And I’m calm…er.”

“Right…” Aang trailed off nervously. Between the two of them, Abi was definitely more scary than Zuko was when it came to training. He found himself missing training under his Sifu Hotman.

“Let’s just see if we can get to the end of this lesson without me burning you to death, shall we?” Abi stated.

Aang nodded, “That would be nice.”

“Now, get in your horse stance!” Abi ordered again.

From where she was watching, Katara found herself getting bored of having to watch this. Although she had to admit that she was impressed by the fact that Abi could’ve easily lashed out on Aang, yet was able to control her temper. Perhaps there was no harm in leaving them alone together after all. Besides, Katara had full faith that Aang could defend himself against the former crazy firebender if he had to.

~*•°•*~

Later that day, Katara and Toph found themselves sitting around their camp as they prepared lunch for everyone that was there. Abi and Aang were yet to show themselves since beginning their lesson, and Katara was hoping that everything would turn out okay.

Obviously it didn’t, since Abi had come raging towards them. Katara could see the rage in the firebenders eyes, and she was willing to assume that their training session hadn’t gone well on her end.

“How’d training Twinkle Toes go?” Toph wondered.

“Terrible!” Abi yelled. “That boy has the attention span of a badger-frog! He didn’t show me an ounce of respect. All he wanted me to do was _show_ him stuff. He didn’t want me to _teach_ him!”

“But nobody got hurt?” Katara checked.

Abi rolled her eyes, “Couldn’t you see that both of us were fine from where you were watching us, Damsel? Though I see that our session wasn’t exactly to your liking since you left quite quickly. Or was that just my presence?”

Katara was flustered, “What? How did you-“

“I was trained in the art of stealth, Damsel. I’m more in-tune with my surroundings than anyone you’ll ever meet. Apart from her,” Abi pointed at Toph. “Besides, I saw your blue clothes.”

“Well, I’ll be careful to hide myself more carefully next time,” Katara remarked.

Abi scoffed, “Like there’s going to be a next time. That boy has tested my patience more than anyone ever has! And my patience is already as low as it is.”

“So I guess this means you’ll be losing your bet with Sparky then,” Toph piped up.

“I don’t care! Agni knows that I tried with that boy, but he is unwilling to learn from me. I am not some pathetic show-bender. I did not go through a decade of training to be some entertainer for the Avatar. I am a master firebender who deserves to be respected!” Abi growled.

“Maybe Aang would be more responsive to your teaching if you weren’t so harsh on him,” Katara found herself suggesting.

“Yeah, Twinkle Toes is a little softie. He can’t handle someone telling him how it is. You’ve gotta be all sensitive and understanding,” Toph added.

“In case you haven’t notice, I am neither a softie, sensitive or understanding,” Abi snarled.

“What Toph means is that you need to be encouraging. A little understanding helps, but to get the best out of Aang you need to encourage him. Don’t yell at him. He’ll only shut down on you,” Katara offered. She was only giving advice because she wanted to see Aang get better at firebending. Not because she wanted to help Abi.

“If he’s going to face Fire Lord Ozai, then the kids gonna have to toughen up. Not everyone will cater to his needs. Fire Lord Ozai will only crush him and his softness,” Abi stated.

Katara grimaced, “Aang isn’t one to change his ways. He’s firm on his beliefs and although he can adapt to his situation, he doesn’t like having to compromise his beliefs.”

“Sounds like a softer version of me,” Abi muttered. She certainly wasn’t willing to compromise and was definitely set in her ways.

“Then you should be able to teach him just fine,” Toph remarked. “Training Twinkle Toes was a nightmare for me at first. He couldn’t get out of his airbender formation so I had to resort to aggravating him to get the desired results.”

“I doubt such methods would work with me,” Abi stated, finding it very odd that she was having a seemingly civil conversation with Katara in the mix. The waterbender wasn’t being outrightly obnoxious towards her. Whatever thoughts she was having, she was keeping them to herself.

“Just try not to be so mean to him. Aang does want to learn, he just finds it hard to relate to everyone’s style of teaching,” Katara reasoned.

“Fine,” Abi conceded. “But if he calls me Master Jeong-Jeong again, I’m going to be livid.”

Getting advice from someone who was supposed to be her enemy was certainly not something that Abi had expected. Then again, she hadn’t expected herself to end up where she had. Once Abi got to the point where she was ready to give training Aang another go, she’d definitely put Katara and Toph’s advice to the test to see if it helped at all.

~*•°•*~

During their first session, Abi had made it clear to Aang that discipline was an important part of firebending training. So the night before, she had requested him to be in her presence at sunrise the following day. She had half-expected him to show up minutes late, so Abi was surprised to see Aang already waiting for her in a meditative stance.

“I apologise for being difficult yesterday. I also thought about what you had tried to teach me with discipline and power. I won’t underestimate the importance of those again,” Aang stated.

Abi nodded, “Very well. I did some thinking too and I will also try to not be so _harsh_ on you this time. Not everyone was trained the same way that I was, and that is something that I must realise.”

“What was it like, training the way that you did?” Aang questioned. He had a sinking suspicion that Abi was only like the way she was because of how she had been trained. Nobody turned out like she did without the influence of someone else.

Abi sighed as she walked around, “My training was… different. I was trained to believe that nothing was better than perfection – anything less was disappointment. Any mistakes were not tolerated, since I would be punished severely for doing so. I was trained to be disciplined and ordered – controlled almost. For most of my life I did not have a mind of my own. I was trained to use my bending as a weapon. I myself was trained to _be_ a weapon. For so long, firebending has only been a weapon of destruction for me – that was all I saw it as.”

“That sounds horrible,” Aang commented.

“My life is not for the faint hearted, Avatar. Neither is firebending. But I certainly do not see my firebending as a weapon now. Throughout my travels I have been forced to open my eyes and see fire for what it really is – life and creation,” Abi said.

“You learned that from Ran and Shaw, didn’t you?” Aang asked.

Abi spun around, “What makes you say that?”

“Because Zuko and I went to visit the Sun Warriors civilisation ourselves. Zuko had lost his inner fire so we had to find a way for him to get his firebending back. We discovered that their civilisation was still secretly alive and that there were dragons too. They showed us what firebending really was – life and creation – because I had always seen firebending as destruction. And the way you spoke about firebending yesterday was a lot like the way the Sun Warriors did,” Aang explained.

“They certainly did teach me a lot,” Abi murmured.

“Why don’t we do the Dancing Dragon together? If you learned from Ran and Shaw, then you have to know it,” Aang eagerly suggested.

Abi groaned, “Fine. But don’t tell anyone else that I know.”

“Sure,” Aang agreed, not really sure why Abi would want that to be a secret.

There were many things about the firebending master that Aang did not understand. Like why she had chosen the path that she originally did. Sure, Abi had admitted that she was wrong in that area, but she still originally chose to take it. It made him wonder what could’ve possibly made her realise these mistakes too. Aang had learned from Zuko that once he had everything he wanted, it wasn’t at all how he thought it would be. Maybe that’s how things turned out for Abi. Maybe she realised that the life she had wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.

As they did the Dancing Dragon together, Aang saw Abi in a new light. He didn’t see her as this angry and bitter firebender like eh had thought she was. She moved in a way with such grace that even he couldn’t compare to. It was safe to say that Abi knew what she was talking about when it came to firebending and that she certainly could teach him a thing or too. So long as she didn’t burn him alive when he riled her up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter didn’t turn out how I planned it to, since I had planned for it to be longer before realising that it was already at 5k words and that it was best to cut it here. The chapter also wasn’t originally called Lessons to be Learned since that was actually going to be a title for another fic that I have planned for the future. From the beginning of the story, I knew that Abi would end up teaching Aang a little bit of firebending at some point. This chapter was actually difficult to write, since I imagined exactly how it would turn out, but writing it proved to be a bit harder. Like I promised above, things will get back on track with the main story next chapter so that’s something to look forward to.


	70. Building Fences

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We’re in the seventies for this story, and that’s we’re it’ll be ending. The home stretch is getting closer and closer, and I’m getting more eager to write for the finale with what I have planned ;). I’m also making consistent process with re-writing the story and have got the first four chapters done. As promised, the story is getting back on track with the main Avatar plot so this chapter takes place during the Southern Raiders.

Smirking with satisfaction, Abi watched as Aang demonstrated what he had learned under her teaching. It had taken a lot of her patience to handle Aang, since he wasn’t like any other firebender that she’d met before. It was safe to say that she’d reached an understanding with the young Avatar, who now knew better than to push her more than necessary.

“I have to say, I’m surprised you taught him anything at all,” Zuko admitted.

“I’ve always had a way with people, Hothead,” Abi smirked.

“Not a good way,” Zuko muttered.

“So, this means my chores are yours, right? I got him to improve more than you’ve made him do and that was the name of the game,” Abi said.

“You did, and I will,” Zuko nodded.

“Great. Now I can spend what would’ve been wasted time doing far more important things with myself,” Abi remarked.

“You guys should teach me at the same time,” Aang suggested once he finished showing his moves.

Abi shook her head, “That wouldn’t work, Arrows. If I’m to teach you, I’m to teach you _alone_. Away from witnesses.”

“Witnesses of what?” Aang asked warily.

“The torturous training that I would put you through and your constant whining,” Abi snapped.

“I didn’t whine!” Aang exclaimed.

“You kind of did,” Abi argued.

“Alright, gather around everyone! We’ve got something to talk about,” Sokka called out to them.

Glancing at Aang and Zuko to see if they knew what this was about, all she got in response was equal confusion. As they gathered in front of Sokka and Hakoda, Abi noticed that Katara was back to giving her the stink eye that she had within the first few days of her arrival. To be honest, Abi was glad since it almost felt weird to have Katara being _nice_ towards her. She preferred Katara giving her attitude than her fake politeness.

“It has come to my attention that the west wing bedrooms are no longer fit for us to use them,” Sokka stated.

“Why not?” Aang asked.

“Well, this place hasn’t exactly been looked after in the past hundred years so it’s still kind of falling apart. It’s not long before the entire area collapses which is where most of us are sleeping,” Sokka explained.

“You say _‘most of us’_ so why does this affect _all of us_?” Abi wondered.

“Because we’ll all be moving over to the quad to sleep together. That way we can _all_ learn to be together, especially with our newest arrivals,” Sokka replied, his gaze landing on Abi and Chit Sang.

“Why can’t you just move everyone in the west wing to another part of the temple?” Abi suggested.

It certainly wasn’t a good prospect for Abi, sleeping around all of these people that she barely knew. Especially when she was still plagued by nightmares. The last thing she wanted was for these people to see her in a weaker state than they already had.

“Why’s this such a big deal for you? Is sleeping on the ground too much of a peasant thing?” Katara asked.

“No. I just like my privacy at night,” Abi answered.

“This move is better for all of us because things have gotten a little too complacent around here in regards to security,” Hakoda stated.

“But we’ve been here for weeks and nobody’s found us,” Aang pointed out.

“Exactly!” Sokka exclaimed. “So it’s only a matter of time before we get found out. Especially now that we’ve got two of the most wanted firebenders in the Fire Nation with us.”

“That wouldn’t be a problem if we just dropped them off somewhere,” Katara remarked.

“Look, we’re all sleeping together and that’s final. Maybe some of us can learn to get along,” Sokka insisted, glancing at Abi and Katara.

“What are you looking at me for? She’s the problem!” Katara exclaimed as she pointed at the female firebender.

Abi rolled her eyes, “I’m _not_ the problem. You’re the problem because you allow yourself to be so affected by my presence when yours doesn’t even affect me the slightest.”

“That’s not what it was like the other day,” Katara remarked, referring to their duel that Abi had barely handled.

“ _Look_ , you little-“ Abi balled her fists.

“Okay,” Aang interjected before a fight broke out. “Why don’t we all start moving our belongings so that we can get ready for bed?”

Everyone seemed fine with that suggestion, except for Katara who gave Abi one last glare before walking off with Aang. Reluctantly, Abi went off to gather her belongings since whether she liked it or not, it looked like she’d be having a slumber party tonight.

~*•°•*~

Usually Abi woke with the sun, but the next morning she was awoken by a loud _BOOM_. After spending several months on high-alert, Abi had grown pretty in-tune with her instincts. She’d practically woken up with whatever noise that had gone off. To Abi’s complete alarm, bombs were being pelted towards the building as Aang raced towards the source of them. There was no doubt in Abi’s mind that those bombs had come from a fleet of Fire Nation airships.

 _Figures that the first morning after we all move here, we get attacked._ Abi thought to herself.

Sure enough, several airships emerged from the fog as they continued launching bombs towards them. By that time, everyone had already woken up as they found themselves under attack. Aang ran back towards the quad with Appa behind, and used airbending to force the large, ceiling-high metal doors surrounding the quad to close.

That hardly protected them, since Abi could hear the bombs exploding against the doors. The roof above them began to crumble and finally cave in. Katara was standing directly beneath the crumbling ceiling and looked up, alarmed, only to be pushed out of the way by Zuko.

“Watch out!” Zuko yelled as he ran to push her out of the way.

The two rolled across the floor, the debris from the ceiling crashing several feet away from them as they settled on the ground. Despite just saving her from being crushed, Katara hardly seemed grateful for the action.

“What are you doing?” Katara angrily demanded.

“Keeping rocks from crushing you,” Zuko replied calmly.

“Okay, I’m not crushed. You can get off me now!” Katara snapped as she rushed out from under Zuko.

“I’ll take that as a thank you,” Zuko murmured.

“Ungrateful, much,” Abi remarked to herself.

Using earthbending, Toph and Haru bored a hole through the temple. In Abi’s opinion, she didn’t like the idea of going through a tunnel like that, especially when there were bombs being flung at them that could cause it to collapse at any moment.

“Come on! We can get through here!” Toph shouted as she pointed to the exit.

Everyone began to enter the passageway as Aang stayed behind, trying to get Appa to leave with him by pulling on the bison’s reins. Abi noticed that Zuko hadn’t followed after the others as he faced the airships.

“What are you doing?” Aang asked him.

“Go ahead! I’ll hold them off,” Zuko replied. “I think this is a family visit.”

If this was a family visit, then that meant that it would have to be _Azula_. Anger boiled inside Abi as she remembered the Fire Nation Princess and what she had done to her. Facing off against her at the Boiling Rock hadn’t been enough. Abi wanted to get the chance to _finally_ put Azula in her place.

Speaking of the devil, a podium-like devise suddenly rose from the airships as Zuko ran towards the airships, with one bomb landing right in front of him where it detonated. Thick grey plumes of smoke rose before Zuko emerged from the smoke, unharmed. He firebended a large blast from his hand as the podium rose. Sure enough, standing atop it with an evil, maniacal grin on her face was none other than Azula.

“What are you doing here?” Zuko demanded.

“You mean it’s not obvious yet? I am about to celebrate becoming an only child!” Azula cackled as she flipped herself over and kicked a large blast of flame at her brother.

Zuko dodged and ran backward into the temple, but fell. Several blasts were sent his way as the temple began to fall apart. He ran towards the airships and as he jumped toward the ship where his sister was, he sent several shots of fire towards her, but failed to hit her as she jumped onto the roof of the airship. He then fell down into the misty floor below.

“Idiot,” Abi muttered to herself, but she had no doubt that Zuko would survive the landing. After all, that was where the stolen airship was hiding. Abi turned her attention to Azula, ready to give the princess a piece of her mind. _If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself._

“Come on, we have to go!” Suki tried pulling Abi away.

“No,” Abi growled. “Sunshine and I have a score to settle.”

“Don’t be crazy!” Suki called out to her as she took off running.

Abi turned around to face her as she kept running, “I already am!”

Everything around Abi didn’t matter as she ran up to the crumpling platform and stared off against Azula. Contrary to how she usually portrayed herself, Azula was grinning down at Abi with an insane look on her face. Abi couldn’t help but think that that was how _she_ had looked when she’d faced off against Azula in the past.

“Well, isn’t this nice!” Azula cackled.

“I’d wipe that grin off your face if I were you, Sunshine,” Abi growled.

With a simple punch of her fist, Abi generated a large blast of fire that she launched towards the airship behind Azula. It hit the side of it that Zuko had just been trying to hold onto. That was the main source of power for the airship, so Abi wasn’t going to hit anything else.

After doing that, Abi thrusted her arms down and propelled herself into the air, stopping herself once she was a few extra feet above Azula. Once Abi stopped propelling herself, she kicked a large flame down at Azula, who blocked it with an arc of fire that she sent right back up at her. As Abi fell back down, she kicked a blast of fire behind her which propelled her towards the airship, which saw her land safely on its roof alongside Azula.

“You’ve got guts coming back for more, Abi. Especially considering how our last battle turned out for you,” Azula taunted.

“That _won’t_ be happening again,” Abi growled.

The two firebenders stood apart from each other as they both got into formation. When she was ready, Abi punched a large blast of fire towards Azula who jumped out of its way. Azula then charged towards her with fire coming off her fingertips which Abi easily dodged. They circled each other in a way that was almost like a dance as they both tried to land small blows. Once they got close enough, Abi created small fire daggers with her hands and Azula did the same. Every move each girl made was done with exact precision, although Azula’s were made a bit more erratically.

“You’re looking a bit out of order, Sunshine. Maybe you could do with some practicing,” Abi remarked.

“Says you!” Azula snarled.

Blue fire clashed with red fire as they duelled, and Abi couldn’t help but think back to the last time that they had faced off against each other. Compared to then, Azula was hardly performing like she usually did. If Abi didn’t know any better, she’d say that Azula was beginning to lose her mind. That served her right.

“It’s a shame that you couldn’t have stayed behind to catch up with Mai and Ty Lee as they followed in your footsteps. You three would’ve made _great_ friends at my expense!” Azula shrieked.

“Oh, so they’re not around anymore?” Abi smirked. “Guess they realised that being friends with a  crazy and sadistic firebending princess wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.”

“Take that back!” Azula demanded as she punched a large blast of fire at Abi, who easily dodged it.

“She’s losing it,” Abi muttered to herself as an idea popped into her head. The others were yet to emerge from the temple, and they couldn’t exactly leave with a small fleet of airships chasing after them. Perhaps Abi could use Azula’s lack of sanity against her…

“Speak up, mumbles!” Azula demanded.

Abi smirked, “I was just saying, that they really shouldn’t call you the Princess of the Fire Nation. They should really call you the Princess of Failure.”

Just as Abi had expected it would, that comment had been enough to set Azula off as she launched a blast at Abi who jumped out of the way, letting it hit the airship instead. Abi then moved towards the edge of the airship that the two were on.

“Is that all you’ve got? Man, they’ll call anyone a firebending master these days,” Abi drawled.

Reacting out of anger, Azula firebended another large blast at fire at Abi, who propelled herself into the air to get out of its way. Like Abi had predicted it would, the blast hit the airship behind them. Abi then moved towards the direction of another airship.

“I don’t know why, but I thought you were better than Zuko,” Abi stuck her tongue out.

“How _dare_ you say that!” Azula roared as launched yet another blast in Abi’s direction, which missed her and hit the other airship just like the other ones did.

“It must’ve hurt to have Moody and Loony betray you for Zuko like that. After all, doesn’t everyone prefer him over you? Even your own mother did! I can see why,” Abi taunted.

That comment seemed to rile Azula up even more than the others did as it was enough to get her to generate lightning, which she fired at Abi. Refusing to get hit by another one of Azula’s lightning shots, Abi just barely got out of the way as the lightning hit the airship behind them.

“You better shut your mouth if you’d know what’s good for you! I’m your Princess and you should treat me as such!” Azula threatened.

“I’m a traitor now, Azula. You’re _not_ my Princess. Quite frankly, you never were,” Abi spat.

“Yes I am!” Azula shrieked.

As she conjured a large blast of fire behind her, Azula charged towards Abi. It was then that Abi realised that standing near the edge probably wasn’t the _best_ of ideas. Nevertheless, she charged towards Azula with just as much fire and determination. When they finally reached each other, their fire collided which created a massive explosion that sent them both flying backwards.

Azula was lucky that she landed against the pillar before she could go any further, but Abi hadn’t been so lucky as she tossed over the airship and desperately tried to find something to hold onto, but to no avail. Using her firebending, Abi propelled herself backwards until she reached another airship which she used to hold onto.

At that moment, Appa emerged from the temple, covered by a shield of rock in front. Azula tried to bring him down, only for the shield to absorb the blasts. Appa escaped the shield and it disintegrates. Behind Azula, their captured airship rose, revealing that Zuko had survived his fall, just as Abi had expected he would. Deciding to leave the two siblings to themselves, Abi propelled herself back into the air as Appa flew past and she landed safely in his saddle.

“Why did you do that?” Suki demanded.

“I was doing you guys a favour,” Abi snapped.

They watched as Zuko and Azula faced off, with Zuko making the first move. He jumped towards Azula, who sent a column of fire at him, which he respond to with more blasts. The two attacked each other several times. It was hard for them to keep track of the siblings duel as they tried dodging fire blasts while Katara deflects several large whips of fire with her waterbending. The group rose above the airship to avoid more fire.

Back on the airship, Azula and Zuko were evenly matched until they both reached each other with fire-packed punches, launching them both off the airship. Zuko was caught by Katara, but Azula was left falling.

“She’s… not gonna make it…” Zuko trailed off.

“Good. I hope she lands with a hard splat,” Abi growled.

“There’s something we can agree on,” Katara remarked.

Almost as if she heard them and desired to prove them wrong, Azula used her firebending to propel herself towards the wall, stopping her fall with her hair pin and saving herself. Abi remembered seeing that move before, since she had done just that to save herself from plummeting to her death months before. Azula had also seen it, which was obviously where she had gotten the idea from.

“Of course she did,” Zuko said.

“She totally stole that from me,” Abi muttered.

There was no doubt in Abi’s mind that Azula was smiling evilly at them as they escaped. There wasn’t anything that Abi wouldn’t do to knock that evil smile off her face.

“I’m gonna barf,” Toph declared as she hunched over the edge of Appa’s saddle and emptied the contents of her stomach overboard.

“That was some wicked jerkbending!” Sokka grinned.

Abi narrowed her eyes, “ _Jerkbending?”_

“Just ignore it,” Zuko shook his head.

“So, uh… what now?” Abi asked awkwardly, unsure if this was the part where they dropped her off in the middle of nowhere or not.

“We’re going to find someplace else to hide,” Aang stated.

“You’re not getting away from us _that_ easily, Rogue,” Toph punched Abi in the shoulder.

“Unfortunately,” Katara muttered.

Instead of getting into another screaming match with Katara, Abi just leaned back against Appa’s saddle as the bison flew off. It looked like she was here to stay with the Avatar and his gang of misfits. Even though it was probably best for her, Abi wasn’t sure if it would be a good thing or not.

~*•°•*~

Several hours later, they managed to find a nice, secluded spot away from any form of civilisation. They decided to set up camp for the night and decide what further action to take in the morning. It amazed Abi how easily these people from all different walks of life could work so well together, like a well-oiled machine. Of course, it wasn’t _completely_ well-oiled considering Katara was constantly making snide remarks at Abi and Zuko whenever they tried to do anything.

That sort of behaviour wasn’t anything that Abi would tolerate in her usual life, but she was only biting her tongue and putting up with it because she wasn’t in any position to cause conflict with Katara. Meals had always been awkward when Abi was around, something that she had grown used to. But there was something different about tonight’s meal that she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

“Wow, camping… it really seems like old times again, doesn’t it?” Aang remarked.

“If you really want it to feel like old times, I could, uh… chase you around a while and try to capture you,” Zuko joked, causing the rest of the group to laugh except for Katara. He smiled at this.

“Who knew you had a sense of humour,” Abi rolled her eyes.

“Ha, ha,” Katara muttered sarcastically.

Sokka held up his cup, “To Zuko! Who knew after all those times he tried to snuff us out, today he’d be our hero? And a special mention to our _former_ crazy firebender, Abi.”

“Don’t even,” Abi held up her hand.

“Here! Here!” everyone except Katara held up their cups as they chanted. Aang nudged him with his elbow before Toph lightly punched him.

“I’m touched,” Zuko smiled before he stopped. “I don’t deserve this.”

“Yeah, no kidding,” Katara snapped angrily before she stood up to walk away.

“What’s with her?” Sokka asked.

“I wish I knew,” Zuko remarked as he got up to follow her.

“What’s with him?” Sokka wondered.

An awkward silence fell over the group after Katara and Zuko’s departure. Abi was positive that she’d be chewing Zuko out right about now, and she was glad to not be on the receiving end of it for once. One thing she did want to know was _why_ it was such a big deal to Katara that they were still around.

“Okay, I’m gonna be completely honest with you guys and say that I really don’t understand why little Miss Damsel can’t just get her head out of her butt and quit being such a bitch,” Abi stated.

“Finally, someone says what I’ve been thinking,” Toph remarked.

“Let’s not be rude, guys. Katara obviously has some unresolved anger towards the Fire Nation that she doesn’t know how to deal with. Imagine what it must be like having two people from the same nation that had always been your enemies suddenly in your presence when you still feel like you’re supposed to hate them,” Aang reasoned.

“Just because you have a crush on her, doesn’t mean you have to defend her,” Abi snapped.

Aang blushed, “W-what? I don’t have a crush on Katara. Funny joke, ha, ha.”

“Don’t even try to deny it, Twinkle Toes,” Toph said.

“Okay, let’s not talk about people having crushes on my sister,” Sokka spoke up as he gave Aang a look that said, ‘we’re so talking about this later.’

“What do you think they’re talking about over there?” Suki wondered.

“Damsel’s probably lecturing him about how he’s a horrible person and that he doesn’t deserve to be here while Hotheads saying that she’s being unfair – which she is – and failing to suck up to her. Next thing we know, they’re just gonna kiss out of frustration and then everything will be nice and dandy,” Abi mocked them.

Aang’s face fell, “It wouldn’t happen like that!”

“Relax, Arrows. Haven’t you ever heard sarcasm before?” Abi remarked.

“Oh, right…” Aang trailed off.

“We should probably let them fight it out and head to bed,” Suki suggested.

“Yeah, I could use a nap,” Abi agreed.

The idea going to sleep seemed to be something that everyone was on board for, and Abi couldn’t help but notice how Sokka and Suki had stayed behind a little longer than necessary. All Abi was focused on was getting some much needed rest, since she’d certainly worked up some exhaustion after facing off with Azula.

She hadn’t felt like this in a while

~*•°•*~

Unlike yesterday where she was woken by exploding bombs, Abi woke with the sun like she always did. While everyone else remained asleep, Abi did her part and kept everything going. She knew that they could just as easily cast her aside at any moment, and Abi wasn’t willing to take that risk. Only because she wouldn’t have anywhere to go otherwise, not because she cared about these people or anything.

The first person to join her was Aang, who greeted her with a cheerful smile. One thing that Abi had realised about the Avatar was that he was generally a cheerful person no matter what. Abi was soon joined by Suki, who emerged from Sokka’s tent. She smirked at the other girl, who seemed very happy.

“Looks like someone had a good night,” Abi remarked.

Suki blushed, “Oh, Abi. I didn’t see you there…”

“Sure you didn’t,” Abi drawled. “Can you tone down the happiness a bit?”

“Sorry, it’s just that Sokka and I well… we err… _connected_ on a much deeper level last night,” Suki replied.

“I could tell,” Abi muttered.

Rather than getting an unflattering image of Sokka and Suki doing _that_ , Abi instead got a rather unpleasant flashback to her days in prison. Suki knew mostly everything about Abi’s stay in prison except for the fact that she’d had any innocence that she had left taken away from her like that. That was something that Abi didn’t think she could ever tell anyone.

“He was really sweet about it,” Suki gushed. “He didn’t pressure me, we took our time and it was just… so _romantic_.”

Abi held up her hand to Suki’s face, “I don’t need to hear it!”

“Right, sorry…” Suki apologised.

Out of the corner of her eyes, Abi spotted Katara and Zuko heading towards Appa who was being fed by Aang. Deciding to see what was going on, Abi got up and left Suki. As she approached them, Abi noticed Sokka fiddling around with a flower necklace that she assumed was for Suki after their _night_ together.

“I need to borrow Appa,” Katara stated.

“Why? Is it your turn to take a little field trip with Zuko?” Aang asked jokingly.

Abi narrowed her eyes, “Field trip?”

“Yes, it is,” Katara replied seriously.

“Oh,” Aang was slightly surprised. “What’s going on?”

“We’re going to find the man who took my mother from me,” Katara declared.

Abi glanced at Sokka who paused and stood up, surprised at his sisters declaration. Admittedly, Abi didn’t know much about these people that she was slowly growing acquainted with. Based on the venom in her voice, Abi assumed that by ‘took’ Katara meant _killed_.

“Sokka told me the story of what happened. I know who did it, and I know how to find him,” Zuko said.

“Um… and what exactly do you think this will accomplish?” Aang questioned.

Katara shook her head in dismay, “Ugh, I knew you wouldn’t understand.”

“Wait! Stop!” Aang called out to her as she began to walk away. “I do understand. You’re feeling unbelievable pain and rage. How do you think I felt about the sandbenders when they stole Appa? How do you think I felt about the Fire Nation when I found out what happened to my people?”

“She needs this, Aang. This is about getting closure and justice,” Zuko insisted.

Abi crossed her arms, “Since when did you become an expert on closure and justice?”

“I don’t think so. I think this is about getting revenge,” Aang argued.

“Fine, maybe it is!” Katara snapped. “Maybe that’s what I need! Maybe that’s what he deserves!”

“Katara, you sound like Jet,” Aang said.

“It’s not the same! Jet attacked the innocent. This man, he’s a monster,” Katara insisted.

“I’m not saying he isn’t,” Abi spoke up. “But there’s probably more people out there who’d disagree with you. To the Fire Nation, he’s probably a hero or whatever. You might think that what he did was unspeakably horrible and maybe it was, but you might wanna think about _why_ he did it and _why_ people do what they do.”

“Figures that _you_ would say something like that!” Katara snarled.

“Katara, she was my mother, too, but I think Aang might eb right,” Sokka argued.

“Then you didn’t love her the way I did!” Katara snapped.

“Katara!” Sokka exclaimed, clearly hurt by his sisters words.

“That’s a low blow, Damsel,” Abi muttered.

“The monks used to say that revenge is like a two-headed rat viper. While you watch your enemy go down, you’re being poisoned yourself,” Aang said.

“That’s cute, but this isn’t air temple preschool. It’s the real world,” Zuko stated.

“Now that I know he’s out there… now that I know we can find him, I feel like I have no choice,” Katara insisted.

“Katara, you do have a choice: forgiveness,” Aang said.

“That’s the same as doing nothing!” Zuko snapped.

“No, it’s not. It’s easy to do nothing, but it’s hard to forgive,” Aang stated.

“It’s not just hard, it’s impossible,” Katara declared darkly before she walked away, with Zuko following her behind.

“If I were you, Arrows, I’d keep an eye on your flying buddy. Chances are, they’re gonna take off when you’re not looking,” Abi suggested.

“What makes you say that?” Aang asked.

Abi shrugged, “Firebenders are naturally stubborn people, and Hothead is one stubborn guy. Damsel seems determined to do this no matter what, so if you won’t let them do it then they’ll just do whatever they want.”

Sokka sighed, “I’m gonna go find Suki.”

It was hard not to think about Sokka and Suki _connecting_ when Sokka said that. It wasn’t that she was horrified by the thought, it was just awkward to think of people her age doing that sort of stuff. Abi had always known that people were intimate with each other because they shared love, it was just unfortunate that her first experience was anything but that.

“Abi, can ask you something?” Aang broke the silence.

Abi sighed, “Depends on what the question is.”

“What did you mean when you just said to Katara about why people do what they do?” Aang asked.

“I guess in my eyes, I’m inclined to think that not all people who do bad things are downright bad. Not everything in this world are as black and white as it may seem. There are some grey areas. Some people do bad things because they have no choice. It might not be what they want to do, but it’s what they have to do. I guess what I’m saying is that you shouldn’t judge people because of what they do, but why they do what they do,” Abi answered.

“Are you speaking from experience?” Aang wondered.

Abi shook her head, “I’m not trying to justify myself and my previous actions because I know that I’ve done some pretty awful things. I did what I did knowing exactly what I was doing. I had been given a mission and I was going to do whatever it took to complete it. That’s how I was trained, Arrows. It’s not mission accomplished until it’s _done_. But I know that there are a lot of people in the Fire Nation who do things because it’s what’s expected of them and because they have no choice. All my life, I had a choice but I did what I did because it was expected of me. I could’ve easily chosen this path sooner, but I didn’t.”

“Surely you’ve had some horrible things happen to you, though. I mean, you had to have endured a difficult time in prison. Are you saying that those people aren’t bad?” Aang wondered.

“You don’t know the half of it, Avatar,” Abi muttered darkly. “You’re not getting what I’m saying, though. If people do horrible things knowing exactly what they’re doing without any remorse, then they deserve to be condemned for their actions. But if people do bad things because they were forced or because they had to, then they shouldn’t be shunned for having no other choice. If this man who killed Damsel’s mother did it in cold bold, then he deserves every bit of justice he gets.”

“And in your eyes, what should that justice be?” Aang asked.

“Similar to my beliefs on what’s right and wrong, I disagree with what seems to think the common consensus is. I don’t think that she should kill the man, but not because it’s morally wrong. In my eyes, death is far more merciful than retribution. People should be forced to suffer for their wrongdoings instead of being spared with death,” Abi replied.

“Interesting perspective you have,” Aang commented.

Abi shrugged, “I’ve always been told that, Avatar. That’s something I pride myself in.”

“Well, I better keep watch of Appa in case Katara and Zuko do try to take him,” Aang said.

“You do that,” Abi nodded.

One thing that Abi had realised even before she had changed sides, it was that not everyone shared the same thoughts as her. That had been made evident as she travelled across the Earth Kingdom and met all kinds of people. Now, here she was, with a completely different group of people who couldn’t be more different than she was.

If this had been a few months ago, Abi would’ve wanted nothing more to do with people like this. Only now it wasn’t so bad. Maybe that was a sign that she was truly changing for the better, or that she was losing it once again. Whatever it was, Abi was fine with it.

~*•°•*~

Just as Abi had predicted, Katara and Zuko did in fact end up taking Appa for their little ‘field trip’ as the others had called it. The whole time that they were gone, Aang and Sokka had been worrying their heads off about what was happening while Suki tried to keep them calm. As for Abi and Toph, they just stayed out of it and had some sparring fun. Out of everyone in the group, Toph was the one that Abi liked the most since she found that she could connect easily with the earthbender.

When Zuko returned without Katara, the others had just about lost their minds before he reassured them that everything had been fine and that Katara was waiting for them at their next destination. With little argument, they packed up their things and headed to where Zuko thought they could hide.

“So, where exactly _is_ this destination?” Abi asked as she leaned over Appa’s saddle.

“You’ll know it, actually. We’re going to my family’s beach house on Ember Island,” Zuko replied.

“What!” Sokka shrieked. “Are you crazy, Zuko?”

“Calm down. Nobody in my family has been to that beach house since our family was actually happy, and that was a long time ago. Nobody would expect to find us there,” Zuko reassured them.

Ember Island was definitely a place that Abi had heard of before. It was one of the top vacation destinations in the Fire Nation. Abi had actually been there once before when she was ten-years-old, but she hadn’t gone there for fun in the sun. The only thing that Abi really knew about Ember Island was the Agni-awful Ember Island Players. But Abi was hoping that by going to Ember Island, she’d finally be able to get rid of this prison garb that she’d been forced to wear for far too long now.

Upon arriving at Ember Island, Aang and Sokka quickly went to see how Katara was doing as they’d spotted her sitting near the shore while flying over. Zuko hadn’t told them anything about their field trip, just that Katara hadn’t killed the man like she said she would. While Zuko went up with them, Abi stayed back with Suki and Toph as they unpacked Appa’s saddle. To Abi’s complete surprise, she saw Katara _hug_ Zuko in the distance.

It wasn’t long before Katara came to approach them, and Abi would be lying if she said that she expected the same response that Katara just gave to Zuko. She was still surprised when Katara had ushered Suki and Toph away to have a private conversation with Abi.

“What do you want?” Abi wondered.

“I realised that I’ve been wasting too much of my energy by being angry at you. I’d like to apologise for being a bit too harsh on you when you first joined, because I thought that you were still the same person that you were all those months ago. Only now do I realise that you _aren’t_ that person and that like Zuko, you really have changed,” Katara said.

Abi blinked in surprise, “Uh, thanks. But you really don’t have anything to be sorry for. I was a psychotic bitch. I deserved your anger all at once.”

Katara shook her head, “No, you didn’t. Maybe back then you did, but not now when you’re a different person. I can see that.”

“Does this mean that we’re… ya know, friends?” Abi wondered.

“I wouldn’t go _that_ far, but we’re certainly not enemies,” Katara held out her hand.

Abi took it, “Not enemies it is.”

“We should talk sometime to you know, clear the air in a non-violent way that Aang would be proud of,” Katara suggested.

“Maybe. Not now,” Abi replied.

“I can accept that,” Katara nodded.

That whole conversation with Katara had felt incredibly awkward to Abi, but none of it felt forced. It was like both of them were being honest with each other in their desire to start it fresh. Since Abi had almost grown used to Katara making snarky comments beside her and giving her the stink eye, Abi was intrigued to see what this ‘not enemies’ relationship would be like with Katara. It was certainly better than having the other girl on her case though, that was for sure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part of me wasn’t really sure what to do with this chapter when I first started planning it. For a moment I even considered having Abi join Katara and Zuko on their field trip, but field trips are kind of Zuko’s thing. Talking things through awkwardly is more of Abi’s thing. Even though it has only been two chapters, I was so looking forward to writing Abi and Azula’s interaction for this one. It went exactly how I imagined it would, with Abi borrowing a page from Aang’s book when he used Zhao’s lack of restraint against him or in Azula’s case, her lack of sanity. 
> 
> The bit with Sokka and Suki is something that was actually implied in the episode itself since he was making her a necklace which hinted that he'd 'deflowered' her per say. Since Katara forgave Zuko, it was only fitting that she’d have some kind of resolution with Abi as well. That certainly doesn’t make them friends, just not enemies.


	71. More to be Desired

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve been feeling highly unmotivated to write recently, which sucks. It’s not that I don’t want to because I do, I’m just feeling really lazy and finding it hard to get myself to write a chapter for my stories. This chapter was kind of difficult to write, because I had no idea how to write Abi’s portrayal in the Ember Island Players but I decided to stick with my original plan.

After wearing nothing but prison garb for almost four months, Abi had never been more excited to _finally_ get out of those clothes and put something new on. Once they had gotten acquainted with Zuko’s beach house, Sokka and Suki had decided to go into town to check it out. For Suki, it was also a chance for her to get out of the prison clothes that she had been forced to wear. Once Suki had gotten her desired clothes, she and Sokka went off into town. Instead of joining them as a third wheel, Abi stayed back until she had found exactly what she wanted.

In the end, Abi had chosen to wear a long, red shirt with gold trimmings and a purple vest on top of it to resemble the top half of the outfit that she used to wear but to also hide the multiple scars that still remained on her body. As for her bottom half, Abi chose to wear baggy, brown, knee-length pants to allow for more flexible movement. The best part about getting rid of her clothes was being able to burn them which certainly felt therapeutic.

It wasn’t long before she met back up with Sokka and Suki who were holding some kind of poster in their hands. Sokka seamed excited about it while Suki seemed to share it as well.

“What’s with the smiles?” Abi asked.

“There’s a play about us!” Suki exclaimed.

“A play?” Abi narrowed her eyes.

“Not really about you, since you’re not on the cover. But it’s about us!” Sokka revealed a poster advertising the play.

On the poster was Aang, Katara and Sokka with Zuko in the background. Although it was quite obvious that the portrayals were inaccurate since the scar on Zuko’s face was on the _wrong_ side of his face. As soon as Abi saw the words ‘Ember Island Players’ she groaned. They were one of the most famous acting groups in the Fire Nation, but not for the best of reasons.

“What?” Suki wondered.

“The Ember Island Players are _garbage_. The chances are that they’re gonna completely butcher everything. After all, how accurate can their little play be if they haven’t seen everything first hand like we have?” Abi answered.

“Come on,” Sokka insisted. “Let’s just get back to the house.”

It had come as a surprise to Abi how adjustable Team Avatar had been upon settling into the Fire Lords beach house, since they were basically sleeping in their enemies house. As for Abi, it was awkward because this was the same place where _Azula_ used to be and she hated being anywhere near where that girl had been.

When they arrived back at beach house, Aang and Zuko had just finished their firebending training. Sometimes Abi took part, but for the most part she left him to train with Zuko since there was only so much of the Avatars nonsense that she could put up with.

“You guys are not gonna believe this!” Sokka exclaimed as he ran in holding a rolled-up piece of paper. “There’s a play about us.”

“We were just in town and we found this poster!” Suki added.

“A very unflattering poster,” Abi remarked, referring to the depictions of Aang, Katara, Sokka and Zuko.

“What? How is that possible?” Katara asked.

“Listen to this…” Sokka turned the poster towards him as he read it out loud. “The _Boy in the Iceberg_ is a new production from acclaimed playwright Pu-on Tim, who scoured the globe gather information on the Avatar, from the icy South Pole to the heart of Ba Sing Se. His sources include singing nomads, pirates, prisoners of war, and a surprisingly knowledgeable merchant of cabbage.”

“Brought to you by the critically acclaimed Ember Island Players,” Suki finished.

“Ugh!” Zuko groaned. “My mother used to take us to see them. They butchered _Love Amongst the Dragons_ every year!”

“Like I said, they’re known for their questionable talent,” Abi muttered.

“Sokka, do you really think it’s a good idea to attend a play about ourselves?” Katara reasoned.

“Come on, a day at the theatre? This is the kind of wacky time-wasting nonsense I’ve been missing,” Sokka held up the poster anxiously and smiled sheepishly as Katara looked away, appearing nonplussed.

“Trust me, you guys would be doing yourselves a favour by bailing on this. Save yourselves the humiliation and not go,” Abi argued.

“I agree,” Zuko nodded. “Besides, it’s too risky for us to go out in public.”

“We have our Fire Nation disguises!” Sokka exclaimed.

“I think it would be cool to see a play about our adventures,” Aang piped up.

“Come on, you people. This is a _Fire Nation play_. It’s going to be filled with all sorts of propaganda and I highly doubt that it will portray any of us in a flattering light,” Abi insisted.

“Don’t be such a stick in the mud, Rogue,” Toph stated.

“Fine, if you guys want to get humiliated then you can do it by all means,” Abi shrugged.

“We’ll get humiliated together!” Sokka exclaimed.

It was unfathomable to Abi why they would want to go to a play about themselves. They might be thinking that they’d get a good laugh out of it, but given that it was the Ember Island Players who were performing this play, the chances were that they would be the ones getting laughed at. And Abi was willing to bet that it wouldn’t be for a good reason.

~*•°•*~

Later that night, they all headed off to the theatre to watch the Boy in the Iceberg. To Abi’s surprise, they all actually looked pretty decent in their Fire Nation disguises. As for Aang and Zuko, it was a bit harder for them to blend in because of Aang’s tattoos and Zuko’s scar. To disguise themselves, Aang simply wore a floppy hat while Zuko wore a hood over his face. In case she was recognised, Abi wore a jacket as well.

They walked into a private booth that was away from anyone else. It wasn’t exactly the best seating option, but it was better than sitting somewhere they could get in trouble. At least this way they were provided with a quick exit should they need it. As they sat down, Abi, Suki and Sokka sat in the back row while the others sat at the front. Zuko sat next to Katara as Aang tried to sit next to her, so Aang sat back up.

“Hey, uh…” Aang trailed off as he pointed to his seat and tried to act casual but failing miserably. “I wanted to sit there.”

Zuko removed his hood, “Just sit next to me. “What’s the big deal?”

“I was just, I wanted to…” Aang struggled to find his voice. “Okay.”

“Why are we sitting in the nosebleed section? My feet can’t see a thing from up here!” Toph exclaimed.

“Don’t worry, I’ll tell your feet what’s happening,” Katara reassured her.

The curtain on the stage rose to reveal a set representative of the South Pole seas. On the stage, Abi could see a boat with two actors who resembled Katara and Sokka. Katara seemed thrilled to see herself onstage, and Sokka grabbed her shoulder as he pointed at her, himself, and the stage excitedly.

“Sokka, my only brother! We constantly roam these icy South Pole seas, and yet never do we find anything fulfilling!” Actress Katara cried. As Abi looked closer, she could see that the actress playing Katara was an older and more robust woman wearing Water Tribe garments.

“All I want is a full feeling in my stomach! I’m starving!” Actor Sokka, a thin and lanky man exclaimed.

The audience seemed to find that funny as they laughed while Katara and Sokka’s faces fell and they looked at each other, confused. Abi looked down at them as she gave them an ‘I told you so’ look.

“Is food the only thing on your mind?” Actress Katara asked.

“Well, I’m trying to get it out of my mind and into my mouth! I’m starving!” Actor Sokka voiced his desire for food which again made the audience laugh.

“This is pathetic!” the real Sokka voiced his disapproval as he leaned forward in his seat, clearly annoyed and extended his arm in a dramatic gesture. “My jokes are way funnier than this!”

“I think he’s got you pegged!” Toph laughed.

Actress Katara stood up in the canoe as she dramatically wailed, “Every day, the world awaits a beacon to guide us, yet none appears!” she then held her hand out and clasped her hands together dramatically. “Still, we cannot give up hope! For hope,” she began to cry. “Is all we have! And we must never relinquish it, even…” Actress Katara sniffed and fell back into a sitting position. “even to our dying breath!”

Up in the booth, Suki held her hand over her mouth to suppress a laugh and Sokka looked over at his sister with an amused smile while her actress leaned over the side of the canoe and buried her face into her hands, crying.

“Well, that’s just silly,” Katara crossed her arms, displeased. “I don’t sound like that.”

“Oh man! This writer’s a genius!” Toph giggled.

Back on the stage, Actress Katara was still slumped over the side of the canoe. An iridescent light suddenly appeared from above and she turned her head to see what it was. There was a model iceberg on the stage with a vague shadow of a figure visible from behind. The two actors stood up in the canoe.

“It appears to be someone frozen in ice, perhaps for a hundred years,” Actress Katara observed.

“Way to be specific,” Abi muttered.

“But who? Who is the boy in the iceberg?” Actor Sokka wondered as the silhouette swayed from side to side inside the iceberg prop.

Below Abi, Aang smiled and leaned forward in his seat as he waited for his likeness to be seen. Given how Katara and Sokka had been portrayed, Abi was expecting a similar portrayal of him as well. Actress Katara stood before the silhouetted figure and Actor Sokka hosted himself onto the prop.

“Waterbend! Hi-yah!” Actress Katara cried.

Displaying a pathetic show of fake waterbending, Actress Katara performed a karate chop and the silhouette disappeared as she did so. The prop split in half, sending forth a jet of steam. Out from the steam came Aang’s actor, or _actress_ that Abi soon realised she was. The actress leaped up and posed, winking with one hand on her hip. She was visibly wearing a coloured cap over her hair to portray herself as bald with the cap displaying an airbending mastery tattoo. The actress was wearing an excessive amount of blush on her cheeks and her overall physiognomy and demeanour clearly to display her femininity.

It didn’t take Aang too long to realise that he was being portrayed by a woman and he momentarily closed his eyes while cringing in disbelief before leaning forward over the railing even more, eyes bugging out.

“Who are you, frozen boy?” Actress Katara asked.

“I’m the Avatar, silly, here to spread joy and fun!” Actress Aang laughed as she spoke in a high-pitched voice. She leaned toward Actress Katara, laying a finger on her lips and motioned towards Actor Sokka before standing upright and spreading her arms out in a cheery gesture.

“Wait, is that a woman playing me?” Aang choked out.

Suddenly, a crude, costumed-version of Appa suddenly burst up from behind the trio of actors as loud festival music played. The replica of Appa swayed from side to side before leaping off the iceberg prop. From the distance, Abi could see that there were three actors wearing the bison costume, only their legs visible as they landed to the right of the stage and ran to the left side before running behind the iceberg prop.

“An airbender!” Actress Katara gasped as she clasped her hands to her chest. “My heart is so full of hope,” she dropped down on one knee emotionally, “that it’s making me tearbend!” she began to cry as she grabbed onto Actress Aang’s leg and continued to bawl dramatically.

“My stomach is so empty, that it’s making _me_ tearbend!” Actor Sokka exclaimed as he threw his arms up hopelessly before dropping to his knees, clutching onto Actress Aang’s other leg, crying. “I need meat!”

Actress Aang put her arm around Actor Sokka’s shoulders and pointed upward, “But wait! Is that a platter of meaty dumplings?”

The real Aang rested his arm lazily on the railing, clearly unimpressed. On the stage, Actress Aang was sitting down with her legs dangling over the edge of the iceberg prop. Both Actress Katara and Actor Sokka were kneeling down.

“Ooh, where, where?” Sokka asked excitedly, shielding his eyes as he turned his head and searched for the alleged dumplings.

“Did I mention that I’m an incurable prankster?” Actress Aang laughed and swung her arm jovially as she crossed her legs while the audience laughed.

Aang extended his arm towards the stage, angry with the actress’ bad portrayal of him, “I don’t do that! That’s not what I’m like! And I’m _not_ a woman!” He three his hands up in frustration.

“Oh, they nailed you, Twinkle Toes!” Toph remarked.

The scene on the stage continued to depict the South Pole seas except the trio of actors were no longer present. A model Fire Nation ship prop glided onto the stage from the left; a man portraying Zuko stood at the bow of the ship, garbed in a military outfit and peering through a telescope. The actor portraying his uncle Iroh stood at the helm. Iroh’s actor was a very rotund, round-faced man sporting a slightly exaggerated imitation of the real Iroh’s hairstyle, complete with a top-knot, beard and sideburns.

“Prince Zuko, you _must_ try this cake!” Actor Iroh held up a platter of cake with one slice missing.

Actor Zuko was looking through the telescope, wearing a headpiece that sports the ponytail Zuko once wore, albeit slightly exaggerated. Despite being realistic, the replicated scar was worn on the wrong side of his face. The portrayal was certainly amusing to Abi, since she always found Zuko’s old ponytail ridiculous.

“I don’t have time to stuff my face!” Actor Zuko lowered his telescope and turned to Actor Iroh. “I must capture the Avatar to regain my honour!”

“Well, while you do that, maybe I’ll capture another slice,” Actor Iroh held the cake up higher before bringing it towards his face and proceeding to gobble it down ravenously and noisily.

“You sicken me!” Actor Zuko yelled.

In their seats, Katara and Zuko sat with their arms crossed. Zuko seemed to be displeased with his portrayal while Katara looked at him with a smug smile. Abi found it ironic that she was looking at him like that, given how her character was being portrayed.

“They make me look totally stiff and humourless and like I’m some ponytailed freak obsessed with my honour!” Zuko scowled.

“Actually, I think that actor’s pretty spot on,” Katara commented.

“Yeah, your ponytail was pretty extravagant and you were obsessed with your honour back in the good old days,” Abi added as she leaned forward.

“How could you say that?” Zuko protested as he held his arms out.

“Let’s forget about the Avatar and get massages!” Actor Iroh suggested while Actor Zuko continued peering through his telescope.

“How could you say that?” Actor Zuko shouted as he leaned forward menacingly.

Satisfied, Abi and Katara smirked at each other before glancing back at Zuko who slumped down in his seat, defeated and dismayed to find that their claims were accurate.

“Just wait until they show you!” Zuko snapped at Abi who paled in her place.

That was when Abi realised that she should probably keep more of a humble outlook considering she was yet to be shown in the play and would undoubtedly come up at some stage.

Since Abi wasn’t exactly sure when she would pop up in their timeline, she simply sat back and watched as their adventures were played out. For Abi, this was a chance for her to see what they got up to when she wasn’t around trying to kill them. They had journeyed to the Southern Air Temple where Actress Aang had pulled out a replica of Momo from the garden. It wasn’t a surprise to Abi that they inaccurately made Momo talk since as far as she was aware, there were no talking animals in existence.

They then journeyed to where Suki was from, Kyoshi Island, and made a mockery out of Sokka as he worried about his but size in the dress worn by the Kyoshi Warriors. It was hard for Suki to not laugh at that despite Sokka’s embarrassment, and she couldn’t blame her.

When they were captured in Omashu, Abi was somewhat ticked off that she hadn’t been brought into the play yet since she had tracked them down long before they reached the city. Part of her thought that was a good thing since they would probably butcher her character anyways, but it was still annoying to just be forgotten like that.

“Riddles and challenges you must face if you are ever to leave this place!” an actor who Abi assumed resembled the King of Omashu declared.

Actress Aang was dodging a swaying rock while a goat gorilla chased Actor Sokka across the Stage. Actress Katara stood amidst a jennamite prop and wailed as she lifted up a piece of it. Just then, the stage went dark as an eerie fog appeared.

“With the power invested in me, I hereby declare that the Avatar shall be my trophy!” a loud voice declared.

The lights went back on and the fog disappeared, revealing a hooded figure in the back. A sense of dread came over Abi as she realised that this had to be her grand entrance. It was the only logical explanation, since the others were looking at each other with confusion at the sudden intrusion.

“Who are you?” Actor Sokka questioned as the goat gorilla stopped chasing him.

“It is I, the all-mighty powerful Dragoness!” the actress proclaimed and Abi groaned in resignation.

“The what?” Actress Aang asked.

“The Dragoness! I am here to deliver your doom! Like how the great Fire Lord Sozin assassinated the Air Nomads, I will be the one to assassinate you! Prepare to meet your doom!” Actress Abi gestured to herself as she spoke.

“I reject your doom!” Actress Aang remarked.

Just like the others had been of their portrayals, Abi had been less than pleased by hers. Her actress wore an extravagant wig that reached the floor and wore ridiculously high shoes. The sight only made Abi enraged and she found herself balling her fists out of anger.

Actress Abi then made a pathetic attempt at firebending, unleashing red streamers from her hands. Actress Aang pulled out her staff, which had two small blue banners on it. She twirled it around as Actress Abi used her streamers. Eventually, a large curtain came across the stage and pushed Abi away.

“I’ll get you, Avatar!” Actress Abi proclaimed.

“Avatar, let us unite against the evil forces!” the buff actor proclaimed. “Here is the key to your freedom! I’ll hold off the evil one.”

“Thank you, oh powerful king!” Actress Aang bowed.

Abi’s eyebrows twitched out of anger, “That is pathetic fighting! Those props are disgraceful! My firebending is _way_ better than that! My hair isn’t that long either! How could anyone fight in that ridiculous outfit?”

“Well, you certainly couldn’t fight that well since I bested you with my trust boomerang,” Sokka remarked.

“Listen here,” Abi leaned over Suki as Sokka backed into the corner out of fear.

“Now, now, you two. Save the fighting for later,” Suki reasoned.

At the rate that this play was going, Abi figured that fighting would be the only way to at least make the experience more entertaining. Maybe then the fighting would be enough to start a riot and it would get the theatre burned down so they would never put on another production again…

Against her better judgement, Abi remained quite despite the anger that was slowly rising inside of her as she watched the play. When it came time for their appearance at the Fire Sages Temple, Abi watched in embarrassment as her actress was easily defeated by Aang, Zuko _and_ Zhao. It certainly wasn’t a flattering portrayal, not that she had expected anything different.

She watched as the acting trio were surrounded by pirates with a comically large waterbending scroll and made a pathetic escape attempt that worked. The scene then changed to Actress Aang being captured by Zuko, which confused Abi since she didn’t think that Zuko had captured Aang on his own.

“The Avatar is mine!” Actor Zuko declared before looking off stage. “Wait, who’s coming?”

An actor wearing a large mask and holding two swords suddenly appeared on stage. “I am the Blue Spirit, the scourge of the Fire Nation, here to save the Avatar!”

The Blue Spirit walked across the stage waving his swords. The guards fell down and Actor Zuko ran around the platform and threw a red strip of paper as firebending. The Blue Spirit pointed a sword at Actor Zuko who ran away.

“My hero!” Actress Aang fawned as she jumped on top of the Blue Spirit’s large mask.

The Blue Spirit danced off stage. Below her, Abi could see Aang and Zuko frowning as they gave each other an embarrassed look. The wheels started turning in her head, and she realised that the only way that they would be embarrassed like that would be if it was because the Blue Spirit and Actress Aang represented them. So of course, that could only mean that _Zuko_ was the Blue Spirit. It made sense since after all, Zuko was skilled in broadswords just like the Blue Spirit was.

“I think you guys would make a cute couple,” Abi teased them.

Following that, the acting trio met up with a group of kids in the forest, who Abi assumed were the Freedom Fighters. Katara seemed to have a little something going on with their leader as he held her tightly while he flooded a town. The real Katara watched on in embarrassment while Toph laughed in amusement.

They flew over the Grand Canyon for a brief moment and Abi got the distinct impression that there was something that happened that was hardly worth showing. It wasn’t long before Actor Zuko tracked them down and chased them to a building site. That was when Abi knew it was time for her to make another appearance.

“Who do you think you are, you traitor prince? The Avatar is mine!” Actress Abi declared as she entered the stage.

“No, he’s _mine_!” Actor Zuko argued.

“Mine!” Actress Abi spat.

They argued like that back and forth until Actress Aang used that as her opportunity to escape as they showed a pathetic attempt of a burning building behind them. Both Abi and Zuko looked at each other in disgust as their actors ‘fighting’ was basically them yelling at each other. This play was hardly showing what Abi was truly capable of, and it was making a mockery of her skills. That was the hardest part about watching it.

The great climax of the First Act was the attack at the Northern Water Tribe. It showed Actor Zhao declaring his plan to destroy the moon spirit when Actress Abi suddenly appeared on stage.

“I want the Fire Nation to achieve it’s great supremacy, but I do not want the precious moon to go bye, bye for my own selfish reasons. Oh, no! I don’t know what to do!” Actress Abi exclaimed dramatically.

Actor Zhao solved her problem by easy knocking her out, causing the audience to cheer in celebration. This was just another example of the play making a mockery out of her and it was infuriating to watch. All they could do was watch as they were made a fool out of, and Abi couldn’t help but wish that she had argued her way out of this torturous experience.

But it certainly wasn’t as bad as prison torture.

~*•°•*~ 

After the intermission, the group piled out of their booth and went to sit on a flight of stairs. They had all been complaining about the play, which was certainly deserving of their complaints.

“So far, this intermission is the best part of the play,” Zuko remarked.

Sokka walked down the stairs as he held a bag of flaming fire flakes and sat next to Suki, “Apparently, the playwright thinks I’m an idiot who tells bad jokes about meat all the time!”

“Yeah, you tell bad jokes about plenty of other topics,” Suki commented with a hint of sarcasm.

“I know!” Sokka exclaimed as he ate the fire flake, seemingly oblivious to Suki’s sarcasm.

“At least the Sokka actor kind of looks like you,” Aang spoke up angrily. “That woman playing the Avatar doesn’t resemble me at all!”

“I don’t know, you are more in touch with your feminine side than most guys,” Toph jeered.

“Relax, Aang,” Katara reassured him as he let out a growl. “They’re not accurate portrayals. It’s not like I’m a preachy cry-baby who can’t resist giving overemotional speeches about hope all the time.” Her face fell as everyone looked at her while Abi snorted. “What?”

Aang turned around and sat down as he sarcastically remarked, “Yeah, that’s not you at all.”

“Listen, friends, it’s obvious that the playwright did his research. I know it must hurt, but what you’re seeing up there on that stage is the truth,” Toph tried reasoning.

“We’ll see if you still think that way when you see your portrayal,” Abi said.

“I’m sure that it’ll be as accurate as yours were,” Toph smirked.

“Are you saying that I’m an overdramatic firebender with ridiculous hair who can’t even hold herself against her opponents?” Abi crossed her arms.

“You said it, not me,” Toph quipped.

All Abi could do was cross her arms in disapproval as the others snickered at her. She found it ironic that they had the nerve to sit there and laugh at her while they were just complaining about their own portrayals. They would soon not be laughing once they stepped back into the theatre for the second act.

~*•°•*~ 

With a lot of reluctance, Abi returned back to their booth with the others as the second act began. It seemed to be taking place in the Earth Kingdom given the background, and just like everything else, Abi felt like there was something more missing. The acting trio stood next to a large rock in front of a painted background.

“Well, here we are in the Earth Kingdom!” Actress Katara exclaimed.

“I’d better have a look around to see if I can find an earthbending teacher!” Actress Aang opened up her miniature air glider prop and jumped into the air with a cable lifting her up.

“This is it, this must be where I come in!” Toph grinned as Actress Aang flew around the theatre, over the audience and returned to the stage.

“I flew all over town, but I couldn’t find a single earthbending master!” Actress Aang exclaimed.

“Here it comes…” Toph trailed off in anticipation.

There was a loud rumbling noise as a trapdoor beneath the rock prop opened up and a buff looking _guy_ held it above his head, “You can’t find an earthbending master in the sky, you have to look underground,” the actor threw away the prop.

“Who are you?” Actress Aang wondered as the others laughed in the booth while Zuko looked up from a piece of paper, stunned. Toph still seemed eager, though.

“My name’s Toph,” the Actor spat and flexed his muscles as he introduced himself. “Because it sounds like tough, and that’s just what I am!”

“Wait a minute,” Toph picked at her ear with her pinkie as the audience laughed. “I sound like a guy. A really buff guy.”

“Well, Toph, what you hear up there is the truth. It hurts, doesn’t it?” Katara remarked.

“Are you kidding me? I wouldn’t have cast it any other way!” Toph laughed as Katara looked away in dismay. “At least it’s not a flying bald lady or a long-haired lesbian!” Aang turned towards the stage in annoyance at that remark while Abi tilted her head forward.

“Excuse me?” she drawled in a dangerously low voice.

“So, you’re blind?” Actress Aang waved her hand in front of Actor Toph’s eyes.

“I can see you doing that,” Actor Toph laughed. “I see everything that you see, except I don’t “see” like you do. I release a sonic wave from my mouth.”

To demonstrate, Actor Toph screamed very loudly at the Team Avatar players. The audience and Team Avatar grimaced at the scream; Aang clapped his hands over his ears, Zuko gripped the railing in front of him, Sokka and Katara hugged each other in terror and Katara gritted her teeth while Toph looked excited and Abi simply examined her nails, seemingly unbothered by the loud scream.

“Eh, I’ve heard louder,” Abi commented, earning looks from the others.

“There, I got a pretty good look at you,” Actor Toph stated and the audience applauded.

There were another few scenes that hardly caught Abi’s attention, but one that she did find amusing was when Actor Iroh and Actor Zuko split up because Actor Zuko’s hair had gone ‘too far.’ Abi did realise that his hair went through some sort of transformation back then. Of course, she had been too busy losing her sanity to pay attention to peoples hairstyles.

Somewhere along the way, everyone got chased down by none other than _Azula_. Or Actress Azula to be accurate. The actress was wearing far too much makeup and was wearing pink torso armour instead of her usual red. Her bangs were also pretty ridiculous too. It seemed like a pretty accurate portrayal to Abi.

“Azula, my sister, what are you doing here?” Actor Zuko wondered as they cornered her.

“You caught me,” Actress Azula held down her hands in surrender. “Wait, what’s that?” she pointed in the distance. “I think it’s your honour!”

“Where?” Actor Zuko shouted as everybody looked while Actress Azula was lifted into the air.

“She escaped, but how?” Actress Katara wondered.

“Think again!” Actress Azula declared as she ‘generated lightning’ and shot it at Actress Abi who fell to the ground in pain.

“Oh, the pain, it’s too much!” Actress Abi wailed as she clutched herself. “I couldn’t even get the Avatar! My image has been besmirched and my legacy will forever be tainted. Curse you, cruel world!”

“Oh, no! She’s dead!” Actress Aang cried in horror.

“At least that’s one less crazy firebender that we have to worry about,” Actor Sokka shrugged as the stage darkened.

“Did you just… die?” actual Zuko asked Abi.

“No!” Abi seethed as she stood up angrily. “I’m standing right here! That’s not how it happened! I ought to burn this theatre to the ground! How dare they do me like that!”

“Calm down, you can burn the theatre after the play,” Suki pushed her back down.

“This is such an outrage,” Abi growled. “Well, at least now I won’t have to see myself in this monstrosity anymore.”

“Lucky you,” Katara muttered.

Their journey continued on stage until they reached Ba Sing Se and had to stop Actress Azula from drilling into the city. That scene seemed to go on _forever_ and Abi nearly fell asleep out of boredom. Just before she did doze off, she was alert and found that the scene had changed to them inside Ba Sing Se as the leader of the Freedom Fighters was covered by rock prop while he dramatically died.

“Did Jet just… die?” Zuko asked.

“You know, it was really unclear,” Sokka replied.

The scene once again changed to Actress Katara with the stage background painted as some kind of crystal place. She was with Actor Zuko who’s hair was still looking pretty extravagant.

“I have to admit Prince Zuko, I _really_ find you attractive!” Actress Katara cooed.

“You don’t have to make fun of me,” Actor Zuko spat.

“But I mean it!” Actress Katara sat down with Actor Zuko. “I’ve had eyes for you since the day you first captured me!” The real Zuko and Katara inched away from each other, slightly uncomfortable. Aang narrowed his eyebrows.

“The Avatar?” Actress Katara laughed and walked towards Actor Zuko who had stood up. “Why, he’s like a little brother to me! I certainly don’t think of him in a romantic way. Besides, how could he ever find out about… this?”

Actress Katara and Actor Zuko embraced and held hands while Actress Katara popped up one leg. That seemed to upset Aang as he got up while Abi shook her head, knowing that this was about to open a can of worms.

“Oh, you’re getting up?” Sokka whispered as Aang left. “Can you get me some fire flakes?” he put his arm around Suki, but whispered to Aang again. “Ooh, and fire gummies!”

The scene on stage changed to one with Actor Zuko and Iroh along with Actress Azula. Actress Azula had a Fire Nation flag behind her, and Actor Iroh had an Earth Kingdom flag behind him. A light shined on Actor Zuko.

“Well, my brother, what’s it going to be? Your nation, or a life of treachery?” Actress Azula implored.

Actor Iroh stopped drinking from a cup as he looked up, “Choose treachery, it’s more fun!”

“No way!” Actress Azula exclaimed as Actor Zuko walked towards Actor Iroh.

Actor Zuko pushed Actor Iroh over and walked towards Actress Azula, “I hate you, Uncle! You smell, and I hate you for all time!”

The Earth Kingdom flag fell on Actor Iroh as Actress Azula and Actor Zuko exited the stage.

“You didn’t really say that, did you?” Katara asked Zuko.

“I might as well have,” Zuko hung his head down.

It was clear that Abi had certainly missed some action in Ba Sing Se as Actress Mai and Actress Ty Lee battled Earth Kingdom guards. Just like everyone else, even their portrayals had been skewed dramatically. Things took a bit of a darker turn when Actress Azula appeared and shot Actress Aang with lightning, causing the audience to cheer. Even though the Avatar was an enemy to the Fire Nation, it was unfathomable to her why people would laugh at a _child_ being killed.

Throughout her travels, Abi had certainly seen the messed up parts of the Fire Nation. She had even _experienced_ how messed up her country could be. There was no doubt in her mind that it was because of the propaganda done by Fire Lord Ozai and the Fire Lords before him.

~*•°•*~ 

Once the second act had ended, they all left the booth and went to stand outside. They were all still complaining about their portrayals, but Abi was keeping her thoughts to herself. She had hated how badly the play had portrayed her, and felt like it had undermined everything that she had done for the Fire Nation. Sure, Abi had turned traitor but before she had she had been a completely loyal citizen and for them to do her dirty like that infuriated her.

“It seems like every time there’s a big battle, you guys barely make it out alive. I mean, you guys lose a lot,” Suki remarked.

“You’re one to talk, Suki. Didn’t Azula take you captive? That’s right, she did!” Sokka retorted.

Suki glared at him, “Are you trying to get on my bad side?”

“I’m just saying…” Sokka trailed off.

“Does anyone know where Aang is?” Katara asked.

“He left to get me fire gummies, like, ten minutes ago. And I’m still waiting!” Sokka exclaimed.

“I’m gonna check outside,” Katara said before she walked off.

“I don’t think that you’ll be getting your fire gummies anytime soon,” Abi grumbled as she walked off, eager to on her own.

This whole play had tested her patience far more than anything had before. Abi was barely able to keep her anger under control, something that she had always struggled with. As Abi stalked off, she couldn’t help but think back to Toph’s words from before.

_I know it must hurt, but what you’re seeing up there on that stage is the truth._

Did that mean that Abi was a barely capable firebender? Was that how everyone really saw her? All her life, Abi had had people telling her how great she was and how talented she was. This play had done a complete 360 on that and it had shaken her confidence to the core. If this was how the Fire Nation saw her, then how would she ever be able to earn back the respect that she once had?

Abi’s wonderous thoughts had lead her to a small part of the theatre that she hadn’t yet seen. It seemed to be at the back of the stage and there were a few stray people wondering around. Deciding that she should probably get away before she got in trouble, Abi headed back the way that she came. Except she was quickly stopped when she saw two figures in an empty corridor.

“You know I didn’t want to do that, right?” one of them whispered.

“Of course, Anoki. It was all part of the script. You would never actually shoot me with lightning. Not that you can, anyways,” the other person remarked.

To Abi’s astonishment, she watched as the two people kissed each other before eliciting two _feminine_ giggles from them. All Abi could do was gawk and slap her hand over her mouth to stop her from gasping when she recognised the two girls who had just kissed. It was none other than her actress and Actress _Azula_ standing before her.

It certainly wasn’t the thought of two women kissing that disgusted Abi, definitely not. It was the thought of Actress Azula kissing _her_ actress that disgusted her because it was basically Abi and Azula _kissing_. After everything, Azula was the _last_ person that Abi would _ever_ do that with. Even if Azula was the only option left for her, Abi still wouldn’t do it. She at least had some pride and taste. Besides, Azula was too hard to handle anyways.

Abi shuddered as a few unpleasant thoughts entered her mind. All she wanted to do now was get as far away as possible and vomit at the thoughts that had entered her mind. There were a few things that were uncertain, but one thing was that Abi would _never ever_ do that with Azula. Definitely not. Vaatu would have to be freed from his prison in the Tree of Time for that to happen.

Abi suddenly found herself looking forward to the third act of the play.

~*•°•*~ 

After banishing those disgusting thoughts from her mind, Abi returned back to the theatre to see that the third act was about to begin. She found herself thankful for that, hoping that it would be enough to banish those unpleasant images from her mind. When Abi reached the booth, the others were already sitting there except for Aang. She immediately noticed that something was up with Katara, and she had a feeling that it was something to do with Aang.

Unlike the other acts, Abi found herself watching with disinterest. Part of it was because she was sick of the play and another part of it was because she wouldn’t be making anymore appearances in the play. At least she hoped she wouldn’t.

The fun didn’t seem to stop for them in the Fire Nation as the play depicted all kinds of adventures, including some sort of combustion bender who had tried to kill them. Katara gave a few overemotional speeches about hope, Toph had a gambling problem and Sokka got his sword. The whole time, Aang was missing in action until the invasion was about to begin, something that she was looking forward to.

“Here’s what you missed…” Sokka leaned behind Abi as Aang sat next to her. “We went to the Fire Nation, and you got better, and Katara was the Painted Lady, and I got a sword, and I think Combustion Man died. Oh, look, the invasion’s about to start!”

“I just wanted to let you know, Aang, that I’ll always love you. Like a brother,” Actress Katara said.

“I wouldn’t want it any other way!” Actress Aang punched the air.

The real Aang curled up and used his hat to cover his face while the two actors shook hands. Actress Aang opened his miniature glider and flew up via a rope. Actress Katara along with Actors Toph and Sokka remained on the submarine.

“Hey Toph, would you say you and Aang have a _rocky relationship_?” Actor Sokka joked.

The real Sokka laughed hysterically at Suki and Aang and lifted up Aang’s hat, “I told him to say that!”

“I hope everyone’s ready for the invasion! Slap-a-pow!” Actor Sokka exclaimed as the audience and Sokka laughed.

The curtain rose, revealing two stagehands clad in black finish pushing the Royal Palace prop before running off stage. Actress Katara and Actors Toph and Sokka enter from the sides of the stage, while Actress Aang was dropped down from above the stage.

“We finally made it to the Royal Palace, but no one’s home!” Actress Aang cried.

“Actually, I’m home, and I want to join you!” Actor Zuko declared as Actor Sokka rose his boomerang. Actor Zuko’s hairstyle had changed from his previous one in act two and was now a lot more spikey.

“I guess we have no choice. Come on!” Actor Sokka conceded as he lowered his voice.

They all exited stage left, except for Actress Aang who was lifted off stage. That seemed to be a pretty lacklustre ending to the play, but Abi soon realised that there was more to come.

“I guess that’s it. The play’s caught up to the present now,” Sokka stood up and stretched.

“Wait, the plays not over!” Suki pulled him back down.

“But it is over, unless…” Sokka trailed off before he whispered in an overly dramatic voice. “this is the future!”

The play certainly wasn’t over as an actor resembling Fire Lord Ozai appeared on stage. It changed to show him standing on the Royal Palace prop. An orange lantern held by a small cable with paper flames slowly moved across the stage.

“With the energy harnessed from that comet, no one will be able to stop…” Actor Ozai declared. “the Fire Nation!”

“Father,” Actress Azula entered the stage. “Zuko and the Avatar are at the Palace. They’re trying to stop you!”

“You take care of Zuko. I shall face the Avatar myself!” Actor Ozai proclaimed before he disappeared behind a smokescreen.

Actor Zuko jumped on stage and a rope lowered Actress Aang on the stage as she held her miniature glider prop.

“Aang! You find the Fire Lord, I’ll hold her off!” Actor Zuko ordered and the cable lifted Actress Aang off stage.

“You are no longer my brother. You are an enemy!” Actress Azula exclaimed.

“No! I am the rightful heir to the throne!” Actor Zuko argued.

“We’ll see!” Actress Azula snarled.

Their battle began with Actress Azula pulling out her blue streamer and snapping it at Zuko who ducked out of the way. Actor Zuko held two red streamers and jumped to the other side of Actress Azula. He threw his two red streamers at her and Actress Azula jumped over him. Actress Azula raised her hand not holding the blue streamer and five red papers resembling flames shot from the ground starting at her with the last one covering Actor Zuko so that only his silhouette can be seen.

“Honour!” Actor Zuko cried as he dropped off stage through a trapdoor with the flames.

Actress Azula bowed and the audience cheered. Zuko looked worried and the rest of Team Avatar glanced at him. To Abi, this was just another time with the Fire Nation citizens showing how cruel they could be. Small paper flames fluttered onstage where Actress Aang walked onto it and looked around while Actor Ozai sat on his throne beneath the Sozin’s Comet prop. Abi could only imagine how this would end for Actress Aang. She had a gut feeling that it wouldn’t be good.

“So, you have mastered all four elements?” Actor Ozai made his presence known.

Actress Aang pointed her staff prop at him, “Yeah, and now you’re going down!”

“No! It is _you_ who are going down! You see, you are too late! The comet is already here, and I’m unstoppable!” Actor Ozai declared.

Actress Aang looked dramatically concerned while the Aang sitting next to her looked worried at the stage. Abi figured that he had every right to be worried, not just for how his fate would turn out in this play but how his fate would end up in the end.

Actor Ozai wielded two red streamers and attacked Actress Aang, who jumped out of the way. Actress Aang opened her glider, which displayed two small banners as she twirled the weapon. Actor Ozai circled his streamers while Actress Aang jumped over him with the help of a rope. She tried to get close to Actor Ozai, but he made her back away using his red streamers. Actress Aang jumped over Actor Ozai, who fired a constant stream of red streamers at her. When Actress Aang landed, Actor Ozai sent a large red sheet painted as fire at her. A black clad stagehand lets go of the prop and ran away.

“No!” Actress Aang wailed as she fell to the stage with her eyes closed.

“It is over, father. We’ve done it!” Actress Azula appeared on stage.

“Yes! We have done it! The dreams of my father,” large fire sheets rose behind him and a platform lifted him up, “and my father’s father, have now been realised! The world… is… mine!”

The audience cheered loudly as a Fire Nation flag dropped behind him. They didn’t seem to find anything wrong with the fact that two people had just been ‘murdered’ in front of them. That was the Fire Nation for you.

The members of Team Avatar just sat in the booth in shock at what they had just seen. Nobody said a word as people left the theatre one after another. This had certainly been one heck of a reality check for them with Sozin’s Comet just around the corner. But it had left them having no idea what they were supposed to do now.

“Well, I don’t know about you guys but I’ve had enough of this place,” Abi broke the silence amongst them as she stood up.

An awkward silence was in the air as the others followed after her, and Abi was glad that she had at least gotten them to do that. It wasn’t until they had walked outside of the theatre that the silence was broken.

“That… wasn’t a good play,” Zuko stated the absolute obvious.

Abi scoffed, “That’s the understatement of the century.”

“I’ll say,” Aang said flatly.

“No kidding,” Katara muttered.

“Horrible,” Suki added.

“You said it,” Toph chimed in.

“But the effects were decent!” Sokka shrugged.

His comment had at least lightened the mood a bit. But there was an overwhelming sense of dread that had fallen amongst the group as a result of the play. To say that it had left them shaken was an understatement. Although Abi couldn’t read their minds, she knew that they were now dreading the arrival of Sozin’s Comet and given what was on the line, they had every right to be worried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At over 8k words, that chapter was a pain in the butt to write. It took me at least twelve hours to get it done, which was less time than I thought it would take but it wasn’t any easier. I’m not exactly sold on Abi’s portrayal, since it’s basically an exaggerated version of her character but it kind of lacks the humour that the others have. The bit with her actress and Actress!Azula was something that I thought of ages ago because I figured that it would be fun to write


	72. Calm Before the Comet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my original outline, this was going to be the finale arc but since I have changed the ending of the story I changed what this chapter was supposed to be so that everything would make sense. So this chapter obviously takes place before Sozin’s Comet: Part One.

Sitting in his office, General Daisuke scowled as he read the detailed report that Fire Lord Ozai had sent him. In its contents was the details surrounding the breakout at the Boiling Rock involving his former prodigy and the fallout that followed with Princess Azula. Daisuke didn’t know what made him more mad, the fact that Abi had managed to escape from prison or the fact that she had done even more damage to his work.

Since her deflection, Daisuke had lost a fair share of his credibility because he had been unable to control Abi and keep her loyalties on his side. Fire Lord Ozai had been particularly angry with him for allowing it to happen and had subsequently revoked some of his privileges that came with the General title. All of this because of one stupid little brat. Part of Daisuke regretted ever giving her the platform that he did, but he knew that he wouldn’t have been able to achieve what he did without Abi. Perhaps if he had chosen a different protégé, things could’ve been different. But Daisuke would never know.

Ten years ago, Daisuke had sought Abi out on purpose. He thought that she would be what he was looking for to give him the acclaim that he wanted. Only now Daisuke had come to the painful realisation that he was _wrong_ and that Abi wasn’t the prodigy that he had wanted. Yes, he had wanted someone exceptionally skilful with unwavering loyalty. But he also had wanted a prodigy in relation to something else. Something that Abi wasn’t.

“I see that you have read Fire Lord Ozai’s report,” General Bujing stated as he entered Daisuke’s office, unannounced at that but Daisuke knew that he was in no place to argue against it.

“Yes, I have,” Daisuke snarled.

“It would seem as though your former prodigy has been making nice with the very same enemy that she was supposed to destroy,” Bujing noted.

“It was a mistake sending her on that mission. I shouldn’t have allowed Fire Lord Ozai to pressure me into doing something that wasn’t right. She should have remained here so that she wouldn’t be able to see the outside world. That is exactly what happened to his wretched son,” Daisuke growled.

“Fire Lord Ozai only regrets that he did not treat the boy harsher,” Bujing remarked.

“And all of this for a stupid prophecy that may not even be real,” Daisuke snapped.

“Just because the prophecy wasn’t referring to your prodigy doesn’t mean that it’s not real. It could very well be true, we just might have reached the wrong conclusion,” Bujing said.

“This whole Gem nonsense is a waste of time. We already have enough more important things to worry about, like those blasted rebels in the Fire Nation,” Daisuke scowled.

If there was one thing that Daisuke had heard of, it was the rebels in the Earth Kingdom. But the rebels in the Fire Nation were far worse than that, since it was people from their own country going against them. Treachery seemed to be a common thing nowadays, and Daisuke was beginning to realise that perhaps the Fire Nation didn’t have as many loyal supporters as he thought. Those traitors would soon regret their treachery when the Fire Nation won the war with Sozin’s Comet only days away.

“What is it that you know about those rebels, General Daisuke?” Bujing asked.

“That they’re a group of pain in the ass kids who don’t know when to stop what they’re doing. They just think that cause they’ve messed up our supplies and missions that they’re winning. We’ll be the real winners in the end,” Daisuke replied.

“I’m going to tell you something about those rebels. We’ve done some research on them and even managed to get one of them into our custody a few months ago. They’re mainly a group of kids who have been rejected by society and sought solstice somewhere else. They weren’t worthy of being apart of our great nation, so they want to tear us down. The person who we managed to apprehend said that must of their members are kids and that their leader is a former escape from the Capital City prison,” Bujing informed him.

“Now that was something that I was unaware of,” Daisuke grumbled. “Who is their leader?”

“You would remember him, actually,” Bujing replied as he placed a file in front of Daisuke, who’s eyes widened as he recognised the name on top of it.

Three decades ago, Daisuke had begun his first mission as a young Lieutenant serving in the Fire Nation. He had been given the task of overseeing the apprehension of one of the most notorious criminals at the time. They called him the Swindler, since he swindled Fire Nation people out of their homes, their money, their jobs and their loyalty. People considered him a con-artist too, but he was mostly a swindler. When they finally caught him, the man was revealed to be named Gopan, a Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom hybrid.

Hybrids like him were given the worst treatment in the Fire Nation. If you weren’t of Fire Nation blood through and through, you were not worthy of being a citizen. That was exactly what Gopan was, someone who was unworthy of being a Fire Nation citizen due to his heritage and his actions. They managed to keep him withheld in the Fire Nation for years before his eventual escape and he was never seen or heard from again.

“That blasted swindler,” Daisuke growled.

“According to our source, he is well respected in their pathetic little society. Nobody wouldn’t dream of doing anything without him knowing and he has a tight grip on everyone there. I doubt they know his criminal past, but he is the leader of that pathetic little group,” Bujing explained.

“Perhaps its time we get Gopan to rear his ugly head again. And I think I know a way how to do that,” Daisuke smirked.

Now that Daisuke had lost his credibility because of that brats betrayal, he needed to prove his worth or risk losing his title that he had worked so hard to achieve. So, Daisuke devised a plan that would not only get him his credibility back, but his number one capture back behind bars where they belonged. It would be even more fantastic if he could get his former prodigy in there as well, but Daisuke was going to take this one step at a time.

~*•°•*~ 

With Sozin’s Comet just around the corner, Abi was starting to grow antsy. For as long as she could remember, she had longed for the comets arrival so that she could feel and use its power. Abi knew just how powerful the comet could make one firebender alone and considering how powerful she already was, Abi knew that it would only intensify that power. As for the Avatar and his little friends, they didn’t seem to share her same anticipation for the comet. In fact, they seemed to be dreading it.

There was no doubt in Abi’s mind that that foolish play that they had watched had left them rattled. When they arrived back at the beach house that night, everyone just went into their own rooms and didn’t say a word. Except Abi stayed out the front, refining her skills so that she could do whatever she could to ensure that the plays ending wouldn’t become a reality.

At the same time, Abi knew that they were probably mad at how they had been portrayed in the play. She could understand that, since Abi was downright furious with how she had been portrayed. Sure, Abi hadn’t expected anything more and knew that there was a high chance that she would be presented in a rather unflattering light, but the way that they had made her out to be was flat out ridiculous. Thinking about it still infuriated Abi as she angrily let out her frustration on the door beside her.

“A little touchy today, huh?” came Toph’s voice from behind her.

“Like you wouldn’t know why,” Abi remarked.

“Ugh, you’re still tripping about that play? Everyone else is still wazzed off about it but I couldn’t care less,” Toph crossed her arms.

“That’s easy for you to say. You got to sit there and hear yourself be all awesome and powerful while I was reduced to nothing but a… nothing,” Abi grumbled.

“Hey, I might have loved my portrayal but I know that play was a load of garbage. My portrayal was the only good thing about it,” Toph said.

“Pretty much,” Abi agreed, since she had found Toph’s portrayal somewhat amusing. Abi’s was just downright pathetic.

“I know that they won’t say it, but I know that the others are more worried about how the play ended than how they were portrayed,” Toph stated.

Abi scoffed, “They shouldn’t let a load of Fire Nation propaganda stop them from seeing the bigger picture which is that play was not only a load of garbage, but based entirely on nothing. We have no idea how the war is going to end but we can at least control that outcome instead of letting some fatass playwright make it for us.”

“You should try telling that to them, since they won’t stop worrying about it. It’s getting kind of annoying having to feel it all the time,” Toph said.

It was moments like this when Abi was reminded of Toph’s ability to read people using her earthbending. Abi sometimes wondered what Toph felt from her, but she never asked it. She assumed that Toph wouldn’t tell her anyways.

“They’re even thinking about bailing out on the comet cause Twinkle Toes is such a scaredy cat,” Toph added.

Abi’s head snapped around, “What? Please tell me that you’re joking.”

“I’m not,” Toph replied.

“That little… ugh!” Abi growled. “Who does that kid think he is, bailing out on the comet just because he’s scared when the whole world is relying on him winning on that day? He is obviously oblivious to the fact that if Fire Lord Ozai can achieve what he wants with the comet, then there is no hope for anyone!”

“Would you happen to know what he wants to achieve?” Toph wondered.

“Of course not, I wasn’t _that_ important,” Abi remarked. “But it should be obvious that Fire Lord Ozai plans to use that comet to win the war in the most destructive way possible. The kid is dreaming if he thinks he’d be able to make things right after it passes.”

“Then you should tell them that to talk some sense into them,” Toph suggested.

“You know what, I just might do that,” Abi conceded.

As much as Abi could understand the Avatar’s hesitance about fighting Fire Lord Ozai since the man was the most powerful firebender in the world, bailing on the comet was a stupid and cowardice thing to do. If anything, the Avatar would have better odds trying to stop the Fire Lord before the comet arrived. But since the comet was less than a week away and they had made no plan to do that, Abi knew that it wasn’t going to happen.

“Just what do you think you’re doing, backing down from the comet, Avatar?” Abi demanded as she approached Aang in the training grounds with Katara and Sokka present.

Aang sighed, “Toph told you, didn’t she?”

“And she had every right to. Listen, kid. I know you might be scared and that it would be scary to face someone like Fire Lord Ozai but waiting around for the comet to pass won’t be doing anybody – especially you – any favours,” Abi said.

“What makes you say that?” Aang asked.

“Kid, you would have to know that Ozai isn’t going to let an opportunity like this waste. He’s going to use that comet to bring even more destruction to the world so that he can have one last hurrah. People could die because of this shit and it could be so easily preventable if you weren’t being such a wuss,” Abi replied.

“Don’t talk to him like that,” Katara snapped.

“Stay out of this, Damsel. This isn’t about you,” Abi glared at her. Although she and Katara were on speaking terms, hardly any of their interactions were exactly friendly, with this being an example of that.

“Why don’t you just sit down for a minute and try to understand why Aang can’t face the Fire Lord just now,” Sokka reasoned.

Abi scoffed, “I don’t need an explanation. The fact of the matter is that he’s too much of a chicken to face his destiny head on. You do realise that you’ll be remembered as a coward for this.”

“Aang is _not_ a coward!” Katara exclaimed. “He would just rather be able to stand a chance against Ozai because right now, he’s not ready.”

“So, in other words, he’s a coward,” Abi remarked.

“She does have a point,” Sokka mumbled.

“Look, if this is because of that stupid play, you really shouldn’t be letting it affect you this much. It was a _play_ based entirely on Fire Nation propaganda. No wonder we were all portrayed as jokes and suffered a humiliating defeat. But that doesn’t mean that’s how it’s going to be when it happens in reality,” Abi said.

“Is this you trying to be encouraging?” Katara raised her eyebrows.

“Just remember that you’re not the only person involved in this, Avatar. The entire world is relying on you defeating Fire Lord Ozai. If you were to lose against him, it wouldn’t be because you’re not ready. It would be because you doubted yourself. Don’t allow yourself to be a coward because of your fears. Face your fears head on and do what you were always supposed to do,” Abi proclaimed.

With that, Abi turned on her heals and angrily walked away. As much as she knew it was easier for her to say those things because she wasn’t in Aang’s position, Abi knew that it was the truth. If Aang was to face and survive Fire Lord Ozai, he was going to need to believe in himself otherwise Fire Lord Ozai would defeat him with ease just like he had in the Boy in the Iceberg.

And that was definitely not something that Abi wanted to see happen in reality.

~*•°•*~ 

On the outskirts of the Fire Nation, a group of teenagers remained underground, hidden away from anyone in the public eye. This was how they had lived almost all of their lives as part of the Underground Society. Although the name wasn’t exactly the most catchy one, it was good enough for them. With their leader, Gopan, the Underground Society had certainly made a name for themselves in the past few years. This certainly wasn’t the first time that their leader had earned himself a spot on the Fire Nation watchlist, though.

Everyone knew him as the infamous swindler who had been caught by the authorities, only for him to escape on his own. That in it of itself made him legendary in their eyes. Gopan wasn’t always around though, since he always gave himself the much more demanding tasks that he didn’t want to put his people through. He’d already put them through enough by making them go on the run, so the least that Gopan owed them was protection when he could give it.

“Do you know when Gopan’s coming back?” Ishan asked Aika, their second in command.

Aika shrugged, “Could be any day now. He said that this mission would take months, and he’s been gone for months now. The last I heard from him a few weeks ago was that everything was going according to plan and he should be wrapping it up soon.”

“Well, we’re going to need him back if we’re to make any solid plans for Sozin’s Comet. I can’t believe that it’s almost upon us,” Nori said.

“I’m honestly dreading it. We all know that the Fire Lord is bound to be cooking up some evil plan,” Ishan murmured.

“At least we know that the Avatar is now out there,” Aika pointed out.

“The Avatar isn’t the only one out there,” Nori added.

“Huh? Aren’t there a lot of other ones out there?” Ishan asked in confusion.

Nori rolled her eyes, “No, you idiot. I mean the Dragoness.”

“Oh, that scary firebender. Didn’t she get thrown into prison?” Ishan said.

Aika nodded, “Yeah, she escaped from the Boiling Rock a few weeks ago. Rumour has it she’s now in cahoots with the Avatar. I just feel bad that she had to go to prison, when that wouldn’t have happened had she stayed with us.”

“It was her choice to go alone. She would’ve known the risks of going out there when she’s wanted in our land,” Nori said.

“Just like we are,” Aika remarked. Although their individual identities weren’t known to the Fire Nation authorities, they were known as the Rebels. Each of them had their own alias too, thanks to the public eye.

“Yeah, but we’re in hiding,” Nori argued.

“Sometimes I wish that we weren’t,” Ishan sighed. “Don’t get me wrong, I know that I have nowhere else to go and that this is the best place for me to be but sometimes I just wish that I could go out in public without worrying about being recognised.”

“I know what you mean,” Aika murmured.

Majority of the members in the Underground Society were teenagers and had been a part of the society since they were kids, so most of them really didn’t know any other life. As for Aika, she had been apart of the society the longest which was why she was given the title as Gopan’s second in command. They were hybrids, which helped bond them together so they understood each other. They understood the struggles of what it was like to be in the Fire Nation with dirty blood.

“You okay, Aika?” Nori asked.

“I’m alright. I just want Gopan to come back so that we can figure out our next course of action. I’m tired of waiting around. It feels like we’re doing nothing to help our cause,” Aika grumbled.

“We’ve at least managed to find some intel,” Ishan stated.

“That’s hardly anything to go on,” Aika muttered.

Their orders from Gopan while he was gone was to find as much information as they could while he was gone. So far, they’d managed to travel across half of the Fire Nation and were now waiting at one of their secret meeting spots. Their main base wasn’t too far away, but it wasn’t being occupied right now after their society had somewhat disbanded under Gopan’s orders. He had said that it was becoming too risky and that they were risking exposing themselves and ending up in jail. But Aika, Ishan and Nori had chosen to stay together as they had always been like family and Gopan had told them what to do in his absence.

“Just wait until it’s Sozin’s Comet. Imagine how powerful our bending will be. I bet it’d be awesome to see a group of firebenders harnessing it’s energy,” Ishan said.

“We probably will see that,” Nori commented.

“But there’s no point in imagining about it,” Aika spoke up. “The best we can do is prepare ourselves for the comet and wait for Gopan’s arrival. Hopefully we’ll find him before the comet. Otherwise, we’ll just have to come up with something on our own.”

Since Aika was basically their leader, Ishan and Nori simply nodded in agreement. With Sozin’s Comet just around the corner, it was time for them to start planning for the occasion. But what they didn’t know was that things wouldn’t be turning out like they wanted it to, whether they planned for it or not.

~*•°•*~ 

Against her better judgement, Abi found herself taking some time on her own and away from the others and their angst. As amusing as it was at times, right now was not the time for them to be angsting over something like this. Part of Abi doubted if what she had said to Aang had gotten through to him, because he seemed pretty hesitant about facing the Fire Lord now. If he wasn’t going to do it, then Abi was going to have to do it herself.

But that wasn’t the only thing on Abi’s mind right now. She had other things to worry about other than the Avatar’s cowardice. Like what she was going to do once the war was over, depending on how the outcome of it was. If the Fire Nation was victorious, then there would be nowhere left for Abi to go. She hated to think about a world like that. If the Avatar won, Abi couldn’t help but wonder what this would mean for her future as well. Sure, she was on their ‘side’ now, but Abi knew that they didn’t exactly trust her. If it had to be in her best interests, Abi wasn’t afraid of running for her own protection.

 **“For someone who has given advice on not worrying about what you can’t control, you are certainly not following your own advice,”** came Saori’s voice from above.

Sure enough, floating above her was Saori. It had been some time since Abi had last seen her Spirit Guide. The last time that Saori had visited Abi was after her awakening in the Boiling Rock. Abi had started to think that she wasn’t going to see Saori again, but here she was, right in front of her.

“Hey,” Abi mumbled.

 **“You seem troubled, Abi. Would you care to lament your frustrations?”** Saori offered.

Abi sighed, “It’s just that, Sozin’s Comet is approaching and I have no idea what I’m supposed to do with myself. They don’t even know what they’re doing with themselves.”

 **“It would seem as though you’ve forgotten your mission,”** Saori stated.

“Mission?” Abi repeated.

 **“The Gem. I told you to find it. You have been neglecting that mission,”** Saori replied.

“Well, I haven’t exactly have much time on my hands recently to worry about that sort of thing,” Abi grumbled.

 **“Time is running out, child. Sozin’s Comet is almost upon us and terrible things are being plotted. Things that could destroy everything,”** Saori said.

“Terrible things being plotted? What do you mean?” Abi wondered.

 **“I cannot say, it goes beyond my capabilities. All I can do is point you in the right direction. The enigma is plotting something and he is not alone. The enigma plans to redeem himself for your failure at his hands,”** Saori revealed.

“The enigma… My failure…” Abi trailed off before she deduced Saori’s words. “You mean Daisuke?”

 **“People are in danger, child. Only you can rescue them from that danger. You _must_ rescue them from the danger. It is imperative that you do not let them be taken away. Everything else will have been for nothing,” **Saori said.

“How am I supposed to rescue someone from danger when I don’t even know who they are or what danger they’re in?” Abi questioned.

 **“You’ve already met them, child. You know who they are. You know what it is. You need to think back. Your memories will save yourself and them,”** Saori answered.

“Like that’s any help. I know more people than I’d like to,” Abi remarked.

Nothing ceased to annoy her more than the way that Saori spoke to her in riddles. Sure, Abi was relatively clever and could figure out most things. But not things like this that were hardly easy to understand.

 **“Time is running out. It may already be too late. Just think, Abi. Think. The society is the key,”** Saori stated.

Before Abi could even say anything else, Saori had disappeared into thin air like she always did. Her words had left Abi with a dozen questions. What was the ‘society?’ How was it the key? What key was it even for?

 _Damn spirits and their riddles._ Abi thought bitterly. This would be so much easier to figure out if Saori actually spoke to her in a way that made sense instead of leaving everything for her to figure out.

It seemed as though Abi already had her future written for her, since it was up to her to find the Gem and rescue whoever was in danger. Only Abi had no idea what the Gem’s identity was and who was in danger. Then it dawned on Abi that perhaps those two were one and the same. Either way, Saori had made one thing clear and it was that time was running out. If only there was a way to slow it down. But time was inescapable, and Abi was going to have to do what was expected of her before it was too late.

~*•°•*~ 

Unbeknownst to Abi, the plot was already taking place. Daisuke had spread his sources large and wide in an attempt to find something worth finding. Reports had come in from the Yuyan archers about a group of teenagers hiding out on the coast of the Fire Nation. They had been followed and watched before the conclusion that they were what he had been looking for had been reached. Now it was time for Daisuke to put his plan into action. If he could get those bratty teenagers in his hands, then his legacy would be great once again.

“Your orders to apprehend those blasted teenage brats. Make them suffer for a bit, make them give in to you. They could be the key to finding the Swindler,” Daisuke had ordered the Yuyan Archers who he had acquired to help succeed in his mission.

So they did just that. There was a reason why the Yuyan Archers were legendary. Everyone knew that their precision was like nothing else. If you ever wanted a target taken out with accuracy, they were the ones to go to. And Daisuke certainly wanted his targets to be taken down with accuracy. That way they wouldn’t be able to get away and they would be left at his mercy.

As the three teenagers went about their daily routine, they had no idea that it was about to take a detour. Everything had gone like it always did for them. They never strayed away from what they did best. It just felt strange to do anything else. They had just finished setting up their camp for the night when Aika had gotten the strangest feeling. It was like that feeling that you couldn’t quite identify, but it didn’t feel right.

“Do you guys feel like we’re being watched?” Aika asked.

“Nah,” Ishan dismissed her concerns. “It’s probably just the paranoia that’s getting to you. You let that happen a lot.”

“Don’t worry about things that you can’t control, Aika. It’s not healthy,” Nori stated.

Despite wanting to believe what her friends were saying, Aika just couldn’t shake off that uncomfortable feeling. It only made her even more uncomfortable. With a sigh, Aika sat back down and tried to shake off the nerves, telling herself that they were just that. She often found herself getting nervous before important missions or anything like that and with Sozin’s Comet just around the corner, Aika figured that she had every reason to be nervous.

But Aika was quick to realise that she had every reason to be nervous, when an arrow came from out of nowhere and just barely missed her. Both Ishan and Nori had been shocked by this, as they nervously looked at each other.

“Now do you guys get what I’m feeling?” Aika hissed.

Before either of them could respond, they found themselves being attacked by arrows from above. Aika was quick to firebend a shield over them to destroy the arrows and give them time to make a break for it. This wouldn’t be the first time that they’ve been attacked, but it was the first time being attacked like this when they were supposed to be safe.

“You guys go ahead, I’ll hold them off!” Aika yelled.

“We’re not leaving without you, Aika,” Nori argued

“Just go!” Aika ordered, giving them a stern glare so that they’d do what she asked.

They did just that, leaving Aika to face off against the dozens of arrows that were continuously being fired at her at a rapid speed. When Aika got a closer look at the trees where the arrows were coming from, her eyes widened as she realised that it was the Yuyan Archers. Their precision was legendary and Aika knew that she was going to have a hard time getting out of this, but she wasn’t just going to back down.

All Aika could do was shoot fire blasts at the arrows as they came at her and try knocking the archers down from where they were hiding. The only problem was that the Yuyan Archers moved at a rapid speed and were almost impossible to stop. Aika just had to think that she was giving Ishan and Nori the time to get away, since she wouldn’t forgive herself if she allowed something to happen to them on her watch.

Although she tried her best, Aika soon found herself overwhelmed by the situation and it wasn’t long before the Yuyan Archers had knocked her down, pinning her to the ground with the arrows before lunching a net over her. Aika tried fighting back, but her attempts were in vain as she felt like she had been suddenly hit with a sharp needle on her right leg. At first, Aika had no idea what was going on until she suddenly felt herself drifting off into unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the plot thickens as they say. You can expect the next chapter to be the start of the finale arc as this one was the calm before the storm or as I appropriately titled it, the calm before the comet. You guys might have your questions and theories now, but everything will come full circle by the time the story is finished.


	73. Raising the Stakes

Much to Abi’s annoyance, the others seemed to e sticking to their plan of having Aang face the Fire Lord after the comet came. It enraged Abi since she knew that the Avatar was just being a coward, even if she did agree with him in the fact that he wasn’t ready to face Fire Lord Ozai. The fact of the matter was they were all too willing to let the Fire Lord use the comet for what were sure to be his own destructive purposes. It only made Abi want to take him out on her own, even if it meant risking her own life.

They hadn’t told Zuko about their change of plans, and Abi knew that it was so that he would still train Aang as hard as he had been doing lately. Zuko was training him right now outside of the beach house and since Abi wasn’t exactly pleased with Aang right now, she was staying on the sidelines with the others. Aang was practicing firebending punches while Zuko watched him with his arms crossed.

“More ferocious! Imagine striking through your opponents heart!” Zuko barked.

Aang stopped firebending and turned to Zuko while growling in annoyance, “I’m trying.”

“Now let me here you roar like a tigerdillo!” Zuko commanded and Aang performed easily the most pathetic firebending roar that Abi had ever seen, which only made Zuko more mad. “That sounded pathetic! I said _roar_!”

The second time around was enough for Aang as he roared even louder with three bursts of fire coming out of his hands and mouth. This frightened Momo who ran and hid behind Zuko’s legs in fear. Zuko just nodded approvingly.

“Who wants a nice cool glass of watermelon juice?” Katara asked as she held up two watermelons.

Aang brightened up upon hearing this and ran towards Katara, “Ooh, ooh! Me, me, me!”

“Hey!” Zuko yelled as he grabbed Aang by the shirt of his robes and held him up while the captured Avatar kept trying to run off, but his attempts were in vain. “Your lessons not over yet!”

“Come on, Zuko. Just take a break. What’s the big deal?” Suki said as she lounged on the stairs with Sokka. It took everything in Abi not to snap at her and say that the big deal was Sozin’s Comet, something that they didn’t seem at all concerned about.

“Fine!” Zuko conceded as he let go which allowed Aang to happily run off and take a watermelon. “If you want to lounge around like a bunch of snail sloths all day, then go ahead!” he walked away.

“Maybe Zuko’s right. Sitting around the house has made us pretty lazy. But I know just the thing to change all that,” Sokka proclaimed as he laid his watermelon beside him and stood up slowly before taking off his robe, revealing a bathing suit. “Beach party!”

As soon as Sokka said that, he was running down towards the beach at rocket speed. The others all looked at each other and shrugged before heading off after them while Abi remained behind, becoming even more frustrated. She shared Zuko’s anger at their behaviour but wasn’t exactly free to rage at them like he was. Most of the time Abi just kept her mouth shut and her thoughts to herself, a skill that she’d needed to know beforehand.

Rather reluctantly, Abi decided that she might as well go down as well and at least pretend that she was enjoying herself. If she didn’t, there was a chance that Suki would get all up in her face and order her to have fun. Fun wasn’t exactly something that Abi liked, since everyone else’s version of fun seemed to be so twisted. Abi had her own version of fun that consisted of training and doing missions, but she knew most people wouldn’t consider that fun.

When Abi reached the beach, their little beach party was already in full motion. She saw Sokka diving into the water with a splash, resurfacing with seaweed on his head. Katara was using waterbending to create an ice surfboard and surfed on the water. Suki was watching Sokka grab some seaweed and brig it to an area, taking two buckets and filling them with water as well. Aang was making a life-sized sand sculpture of Appa, sticking in a piece of wood to represent his horns.

“Check out my Appa sand sculpture!” Aang exclaimed as Appa roared at the sculpture.

“Not bad, baldy, but I’ve been working on my sandbending. You’re gonna love this,” Toph said as she cracked her fingers and knuckles, using sandbending to create some kind of sand sculpture that looked like a giant town to Abi. Aang peered down at the replica’s details.

“Whoa!” he awed. “Wow, you’ve even made a little Earth King and Bosco.”

“Who the what now?” Abi asked.

“It’s Ba Sing Se, can’t you see?” Aang replied.

Abi rolled her eyes, “Since I’ve never actually been to or seen Ba Sing Se, no, I can’t. And don’t you guys think that you have more important things to worry about than stupid little beach parties? Like, I don’t know, the fucking comet?”

“Language, Rogue. Don’t you know that we’re kids?” Toph said sarcastically.

“Yeah, kids who are fighting in a war. You’re hardly kids in my eyes,” Abi remarked.

“And having beach parties are what normal kids do,” Aang piped up. “We deserve to have a little bit of fun with everything that’s going on.”

“Yeah, don’t be such a stick in the mud and have some fun,” Toph added.

“Your version of fun is very different to mine,” Abi muttered as she heard the noise that Sokka was making ahead. “And apparently, so is his with whatever he’s doing.”

Toph scoffed, “I’d like to see him try and top my masterpiece.”

Based on the giant blob of sand, Abi assumed that Sokka was trying to make his own sand sculpture. When he was finished, he revealed a grotesque looking sculpture with seaweed for hair, a starfish for a nose, with rocks and shells for eyes and mouth.

“Is that a blubbering blob monster?” Aang asked.

“No, it’s Suki!” Sokka defended his ‘creation.’

Although she wasn’t one to laugh, Abi couldn’t help but burst out laughing along with Aang and Toph. Out of everything, Abi didn’t think that hideous lot of sand was supposed to represent Suki. If Abi were Suki, she’d be feeling pretty insulted right about now but knowing Suki, she probably wouldn’t feel that way.

“Suki, we’ll all understand if you break up with him over this,” Toph remarked.

“I think it’s sweet,” Suki smiled as she sat on her beach towel.

“Of course you do,” Abi muttered.

Apparently Suki’s validation was all that mattered as Sokka ran and slid onto his knees as he grabbed Suki by her shoulders and kissed her on the cheek. Seeing that kind of affection was almost bizarre to Abi, since she couldn’t understand how people could be so… intimate with each other.

“But it doesn’t even look like –“ Aang started, only to be cut off by a fire blast that destroyed the Suki sand sculpture.

They all looked at each other in shock before Abi spotted Zuko who was now chasing Aang, blasting at him with firebending. Aang jumped over the sand replica of Ba Sing Se and Zuko destroyed the replica. Aang hid behind his Appa sand sculpture.

“What are you doing?” Aang asked as he peeked out from behind the sculpture fearfully.

“Teaching you a lesson!” Zuko said.

Showing no mercy to the Appa sand sculpture, Zuko destroyed it with a fire blast as Aang jumped back up to the house. Zuko went after him, continually firing blasts at him. Katara came back to shore and saw the destruction.

“What happened?” she exclaimed.

“Zuko’s gone crazy! I made a sand sculpture of Suki and he destroyed it!” Sokka cried out before taking a brief pause. “Oh, and he’s attacking Aang.”

Abi shook her head, “You need to get your priorities sorted out.”

They all went off running back to the beach house, with Suki dragging Sokka behind them. When they got to the beach house, it seemed like Aang and Zuko had taken things inside before they suddenly heard a loud shout of ENOUGH before a large blast of air sent Zuko hurling out of the house, landing on the ground as everyone approached him.

“What’s wrong with you? You could have hurt Aang!” Katara demanded.

“What’s wrong with _me_? What’s wrong with all of you? How can you sit around having beach parties when Sozin’s Comet is only three days away?” Zuko shouted back angrily, only to get no response as everyone looked at him blankly. “Why are you all looking at me like I’m crazy?”

“About Sozin’s Comet…” Aang trailed off. “I was actually gonna wait to fight the Fire Lord until after it came.”

“After?” Zuko repeated, shocked.

“I’m not ready. I need more time to master firebending,” Aang said.

“And frankly, your earthbending could still use some work too,” Toph added, causing Aang to grimace.

“So, you all knew Aang was going to wait?” Zuko asked.

“For the record, I do not agree with this,” Abi raised her hand.

“Honestly, if Aang tries to fight the Fire Lord now, he’s going to lose,” Sokka said and Aang looked over to Sokka as he said this, frowning and closed his eyes in defeat. “No offence,” he quickly added.

“The whole point of fighting the Fire Lord before the Comet was to stop the Fire Nation from winning the War, but they pretty much won the War when they took Ba Sing Se. Things can’t get any worse,” Katara reasoned.

“You’re wrong. It’s about to get more worse than you can even imagine,” Zuko replied.

Everyone stared at him in anticipation as Zuko began to explain how things could get even more worse. Just as Abi had suspected, Fire Lord Ozai was planning on doing something destructive with the comet but like Zuko had said, it was worse than anything Abi could imagine. Though she really shouldn’t be surprised that Fire Lord Ozai would try to end the war like he planned, since that was how it had begun after all.

Once Zuko revealed that Fire Lord Ozai planned on using the comet to burn down the Earth Kingdom, everyone was stunned. Abi could practically feel the fear coming from them. Only she wasn’t terrified like they were. For the most part, Abi was just stunned at Zuko’s revelation. Sure, she knew that Ozai was a horrible monster, but she certainly hadn’t expected him to come up with a plan like this. Committing genocide was one thing, but then taking over that land and making it his own was something else entirely. Not even Sozin had done this with the Air Nomads.

“I can’t believe this,” Katara murmured as she sunk to her knees.

“I always knew the Fire Lord was a bad guy, but this plan is just pure evil,” Sokka commented.

“It sure is something else,” Abi remarked.

“What am I gonna do?” Aang asked.

Zuko stood up from his rock seat and walked towards Aang, “I know you’re scared, and I know you’re not ready to save the world, but if you don’t defeat the Fire Lord before the comet comes, there won’t be a world to save anymore.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about your dad’s crazy plan sooner then?” Aang squawked after a moment of silence.

“I didn’t think I had to. I assumed you were still going to fight him before the comet. No one told _me_ you decided to wait,” Zuko replied in an agitated voice.

“This is bad. This is really, really bad,” Aang held his head with both hands as he sunk down to his knees.

“Aang, you don’t have to do this alone,” Katara stated.

“Yeah, if we all fight the Fire Lord together, we got a shot at taking him down,” Toph added.

“All right! Team Avatar is back!” Sokka exclaimed as he pointed at the others while saying their respective elements. “Air. Water. Earth. Fire times two.” He then gave Suki a clump of leaves and held up a large leaf. “Fan and sword!”

“Fighting the Fire Lord is going to be the hardest thing we’ve ever done, but I wouldn’t want to do it any other way,” Aang smiled.

Everybody except Abi and Zuko laughed and walked over to Aang for a group hug. The two firebenders stood their awkwardly, with Zuko unsure of what he was supposed to do while Abi wanted no part of their little love fest.

“Get over here, you two. Being part of the group also means being part of group hugs,” Katara ushered them over.

With a resigned look on both their faces, Abi and Zuko joined the hug. Abi just stood there as Sokka and Suki wrapped their arms around her until their both forcefully put her arms around them. Appa then flew in, knocking the entire group over.

“This is why I don’t like hugs!” Abi snapped.

~*•°•*~ 

Later that day, Zuko took Aang and Abi to the beach house courtyard. He said that he had something to show them both, which had instantly earned Abi’s curiosity. Under the pavilion, Katara watched with Momo at her side.

“There’s one technique that both of you should know before we face our enemies – how to redirect lightning,” Zuko declared. Aang smiled while Abi raised her eyebrows in curiosity. Now this certainly wasn’t anything that Abi had heard of before.

“If you let the energy in your own body flow, the lightning will follow it. You turn your opponents’ energy against them,” Zuko instructed as he used his fingers to show how the energy should flow through the body.

“That’s like waterbending,” Aang stated as he joined Zuko in practicing the lightning redirection form. After a few moments of memorising it, Abi joined in as well.

“Where’d you learn this technique from? No offence, but I doubt you’re clever enough to come up with something like this on your own,” Abi remarked.

“Some taken,” Zuko muttered. “And you’re right, Aang. My uncle invented this technique himself by studying waterbenders.”

“So, have _you_ ever redirected lightning before?” Aang wondered.

“Once, against my father,” Zuko replied.

“What did it feel like?” Aang asked.

“Exhilarating…” Zuko trailed off as he stopped practicing the lightning redirection form. “But terrifying. You feel so powerful holding that much energy in your body, but you know if you make the wrong move, it’s over.”

Aang chuckled awkwardly, “Well, not _over,_ over. I mean, there’s always Katara and a little Spirit Water action, am I right?”

“Actually, I used it all up after Azula shot you,” Katara replied.

“Oh,” Aang murmured disappointingly.

“You’ll have to take the Fire Lord’s life before he takes yours,” Zuko said.

“Yeah, I’ll just do that,” Aang said with hardly any confidence.

That was enough of an indication to Abi that Aang was doubting his ability to kill the Fire Lord. Abi knew that he had the power to and that the problem was his own moral compass. As Zuko headed off, Abi followed after him.

“And you really think he’s going to be able to do that?” Abi asked Zuko from behind.

“Of course he can. He’s the Avatar,” Zuko remarked.

Abi rolled her eyes, “Being able to kill someone is one thing, but wanting to kill someone is something else entirely.”

Zuko narrowed his eyes, “You don’t think Aang’s gonna do it?”

“Face it, Zuko. That kid doesn’t have one ruthless bone in his body. He’s a softie. It’s going to take a lot to get him to even want to take another life, even if that life doesn’t deserve to live,” Abi said.

“Well, my father certainly doesn’t deserve his,” Zuko muttered darkly. “And if Aang looked at the bigger picture, he’d realised that there’s no way he can escape this. The only way for the world to truly be at peace after this war is for my father to die.”

“If Arrows chickens out, I’ll be more than happy to deliver the final blow,” Abi shrugged.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Come on, we need to get ready for Sokka’s training session,” Zuko said.

“I’d like to see how he could possibly prepare us for the biggest battle of our lives,” Abi remarked.

“You’d be surprised at what he can come up with,” Zuko stated.

What Sokka had come up with was certainly not what Abi had expected. When the sun started to rise, they all assembled at the rocky cliffs near the beach where there was a draped mannequin positioned near the edge.

“Gather round, Team Avatar,” Sokka ordered as he put a carved melon on the mannequin. “In order to take out the Fire Lord – or in this case, the Melon Lord, our timing has to be perfect.” He knelt down on the ground and used a stick to draw a line heading toward the Melon Lord symbol. “First, Suki and I will draw his fire. Then, Katara and Zuko charge in with some liquidy hot offense,” he drew another line,” and while the Melon Lord is distracted,” he drew a third line and destroyed the Melon Lord symbol with the line, “Aang swoops in… and bam! He delivers the final blow.”

“Uh… what about us?” Toph asked, pointing at her and Abi.

“Yeah, what are we supposed to do?” Abi added.

“For now, you guys are the Melon Lord’s forces,” Sokka replied.

“So I get to chuck flaming rocks at all of you?” Toph piped up.

“And I get to light up those flaming rocks and then some?” Abi added.

“Whatever makes the training feel more realistic,” Sokka said.

“Sweetness,” Toph grinned.

“Oh, it’ll certainly be realistic,” Abi smirked, causing the others to look at each other with nerves.

“But not _too_ realistic, okay? We don’t want any trouble,” Sokka interjected.

There was no way that Abi was going to let Sokka take his words back since she certainly had some pent up frustration that she’d been waiting to let out. The last time that Abi had openly attacked Team Avatar was way back in that abandoned Earth Kingdom time, so it had certainly been a while.

“Mwah-ha-ha-ha!” Toph cackled evilly as she and Abi stood near the edge of the cliff.

According to plan, Sokka and Suki ran towards the Melon Lord, but were confronted with stone Fire Nation soldiers, who suddenly rose out of the ground. Sokka cut one stone soldier in half and Suki kicked down another one. They kept running, but a large burning rock boulder fell out of the sky, blocking their path. Suki jumped over the boulder, while Sokka found himself on the ground just a few inches away from the flaming boulder and jumped up.

“Watch it, Toph!” Sokka barked.

“I am not Toph. I am Melon Lord! Mwah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!” Toph cackled.

Beside her, Abi lit a second boulder on fire before Toph sent it through the air towards Katara and Zuko. As Toph kept them occupied with a circle of stone Fire Nation soldiers, Abi unleashed multiple fire blasts on Sokka and Suki, barely giving them time to avoid them.

“Are you trying to burn us alive?” Sokka demanded.

“Hey, you’re the one who let a former crazy firebender and a blind girl take this spot,” Abi remarked.

“Well, now it’s time for you to be taken out! Now, Aang!” Sokka yelled.

Out of nowhere, Aang jumped, preparing to strike the Melon Lord with his glider staff. Abi had a feeling that when it came to taking out the real deal, it was going to take a lot more than a simple staff to defeat the Fire Lord. Just before Aang could take out the Melon Lord, he stopped his attack and backed away. This didn’t come as a huge surprise to Abi, since she knew that Aang was too weak to do something like this, even to a melon replica.

“What are you waiting for? Take him out!” Zuko shouted.

“I can’t,” Aang shook his head.

“What’s wrong with you? If this was the real deal, you’d be shot full of lightning right now,” Sokka said as he walked up to Aang.

“I’m sorry, but it just didn’t feel right. I didn’t feel like myself,” Aang argued.

“It’s just a stupid melon. It’s not like it’ll feel anything,” Abi commented.

Sokka then took out his sword and sliced the melon in half, causing Aang to wince as he heard the squishing sounds.

“There, that’s how it’s done,” Sokka stated.

A piece of melon fell on the ground near the Melon Lord. Momo slurped some melon juice out of the piece while Aang looked on in horror. If this was his reaction to a simple _melon_ , then Abi had no idea how he would react to killing an actual person. That was, if Aang could even kill someone, which she highly doubted.

~*•°•*~ 

Later that night, everyone was sharing a meal outside. Everyone except Aang, who was facing away from the rest of the group. Even Abi had joined them as Aang isolated himself.

“I have a surprise for everyone!” Katara grinned as she held up a scroll.

“I knew it! You did have a secret thing with Haru!” Toph exclaimed, smiling wide as everyone looked at her strangely.

“Uh, no. I was looking for cooking pots in the attic, and I found this!” Katara unravelled the scroll that showed a painting of a happy, dark-haired baby playing at the beach. “Look at baby Zuko. Isn’t he cute?”

“Adorable,” Abi drawled, already knowing that the baby _wasn’t_ Zuko.

“Oh, lighten up. I’m just teasing,” Katara said as everyone except Zuko laughed.

“That’s not me. It’s my father,” Zuko stated, and Katara quickly rolled up the scroll.

“But he looks so sweet and innocent,” Suki murmured.

Abi scoffed, “He’s not anymore.”

“Yeah, that sweet little kid grew up to be a monster, and the worst father in the history of fathers,” Zuko added.

“But he’s still a human being,” Aang spoke up for the first time since dinner began.

“You’re going to defend him?” Zuko asked sharply.

“No, I agree with you,” Aang stood up. “Fire Lord Ozai is a horrible person, and the world would probably be better off without him, but there’s gotta be another we.”

“Here we go,” Abi muttered.

“Like what?” Zuko snapped.

“I don’t know,” Aang perked up. “Maybe we can make some big pots of glue, and then I can use gluebending to stick his arms and legs together so he can’t bend anymore.”

“Yeah, then you can show him his baby pictures, and all those happy memories will make him good again,” Zuko said sarcastically as Sokka and Suki laughed in the background.

“Do you really think that would work?” Aang asked excitedly, and Abi did a face palm at his ignorance to their obvious mocking.

“No!” Zuko said bluntly.

Aang sighed as he paced back and forth, “This goes against everything I learned from the monks. I can’t just go around wiping out people I don’t like.”

“Sure you can. You’re the Avatar. If it’s in the name of keeping balance, I’m pretty sure the universe will forgive you,” Sokka remarked.

Aang turned back to Sokka in a rare showing of him losing his temper, “This isn’t a joke, Sokka! None of you understand the position I’m in.”

“Aang, we do understand. It’s just…” Katara trailed off.

“Just what, Katara? What?” Aang interrupted her.

“We’re trying to help!” Katara yelled.

“Then, when you figure out a way for me to beat the Fire Lord without taking his life, I’d love to hear it!” Aang snapped and started walking away.

“Aang, don’t walk away form this!” Katara shouted as she walked towards him.

Zuko put a hand on Katara’s shoulder to stop her, “Let him go. He needs time to sort it out by himself.”

Abi rolled her eyes, “If you give him that time then this is never gonna get sorted out. He’s not going to take the Fire Lord’s life, point blank. And there’s nothing that you guys can do to convince him otherwise cause he’s too stubborn to realise that that sometimes he just needs to put his Avatar pants on and do his fucking job.”

“He’s just a kid! And it’s not right for you guys to laugh at him for not wanting to do something that he doesn’t feel comfortable with,” Katara argued.

“He’s the Avatar, it’s what he’s supposed to do,” Abi snapped.

Having heard enough of their excuses, Abi got up and left them to their own devices. It wasn’t a surprise to her that Katara would defend Aang’s cowardice since they had their little thing going on. As much as Abi didn’t think that the Fire Lord should be killed for her own judicial reasons, Abi knew that the world wouldn’t be safe with Fire Lord Ozai still alive. She thought it was selfish for Aang to be putting his own personal beliefs in front of the world. He needed to toughen up.

As the night went on, Abi found herself struggling to keep her thoughts to herself. What she was thinking was something that Aang needed to here because he needed to get off his high horse and face his destiny. When Abi found Aang, he was sitting near the balcony with Momo by his side. For a few moments, Abi just stood there and watched him until she made her presence known.

“For what it’s worth, I don’t think you should kill the Fire Lord,” Abi spoke up.

Aang whipped around to see her standing there, “What? Weren’t you just saying that it was what I needed to do?”

“For the sake of the world, it’s what you need to do but personally, I don’t think that the Fire Lord should die,” Abi clarified.

“Oh,” Aang murmured, slightly stunned by Abi’s revelation. “Why would you think that?”

“Because death would be a far too merciful punishment for Ozai. Someone like him deserves to spend the rest of their life rotting away for all of the pain and suffering that he has inflicted on people. As much as he would deserve to die, he deserves to rot more than that,” Abi answered.

“Well, that’s not really how I see it,” Aang mumbled. “The monks always told me that there is good deep inside everyone and that all life is sacred. I would be going against everything that I was taught by taking his life.”

Abi sighed, “Look, I get that you think it’s wrong but this isn’t about you, Avatar. There is more at stake here than your beliefs and your moral code. If Fire Lord Ozai survives, the world will always be at risk. As much as he should spend the rest of his pathetic life wasting away in prison, killing him would remove the threat he would always pose.”

“You think that even if he’s in prison he would still be a threat?” Aang asked.

“Of course. And not just because of him, but because of his supporters. Not everyone in the Fire Nation will be so welcoming to a new regime after spending the last hundred years living their lives a certain way. There will be people that will want Fire Lord Ozai back in power, regardless of who is put in charge,” Abi replied.

“You certainly have such a pessimistic view on things,” Aang commented.

Abi shrugged, “If you could see things my way, you’d understand why I feel how I feel.”

“Just like you guys would understand why I can’t kill Fire Lord Ozai if you put yourselves in my shoes,” Aang said.

“Using my own words against me, huh? Impressive, I’ll admit. Listen, Avatar. I get why it’s hard for you to do this. You’re still just a kid and you’re being asked to take someone’s life. Trust me when I say that me, of all people, understands that kind of pressure. But you’re being selfish. You’re putting yourself first when you should be putting the world first,” Abi proclaimed.

With her peace said, Abi turned around and left Aang to ponder her words so that he would hopefully realise the gravity of this situation. But deep down, Abi severely doubted if Aang would even taken on her advice and figured that he would try to get out of taking the Fire Lords life by any means necessary.

~*•°•*~ 

On the second day before Sozin’s Comet’s arrival, everyone woke up to get ready for their departure. When Abi joined them out in the courtyard, everyone was there except Aang as Appa ate some hay while Sokka sat on his saddle.

“Okay, that’s everything,” Sokka declared.

“No, it’s not. Where’s Aang?” Toph wondered.

They all ran inside the beach house, calling out Aang’s name in search of the Avatar. Abi wasn’t sure what exactly was going on, but she had a feeling that it was something bad with Aang nowhere to be found.

“Aang? Aang!” Zuko called.

“Come on, lazy bones, let’s go,” Toph added.

Splitting up to find Aang faster seemed like the best idea, so that’s what they did. Abi, Suki and Katara ran to check one side of the beach house while Sokka, Zuko and Toph went to check the other. They all couldn’t find him so they went to the porch where Aang had been last night, only to find Aang’s staff there.

“He left his staff,” Sokka stated as he picked it up. “That’s so strange.”

“Aang’s not in the house. Let’s check the beach,” Zuko suggested.

Based on the way things were going, Abi wasn’t even sure if they’d find Aang on the beach. Quite frankly, she was starting to think that Aang was nowhere nearby. They did find his footprints on the beach though, but they disappeared once they reached the ocean.

“Look, there’s his footprints. The trail ends here,” Sokka observed.

“So, he went for a midnight swim and never came back?” Suki asked.

“Maybe he was captured,” Katara said worriedly.

“I don’t think so,” Sokka examined the footprints. “There’s no sign of a struggle.”

“I bet he ran away again,” Toph stated.

“Uh-uh. He left behind his glider and Appa,” Sokka replied.

“Then what do _you_ think happened to him, oh sleuthy one?” Toph asked.

“It’s pretty obvious. Aang mysteriously disappeared before an important battle? He’s definitely on a Spirit World journey,” Sokka said.

“But if he was, wouldn’t his body still be here?” Zuko pointed out.

“Oh, yeah. Forgot about that,” Sokka mumbled.

“Then he’s got to be somewhere on Ember Island. Let’s split up and look for him,” Katara suggested.

“I’m going with Zuko!” Toph exclaimed as she latched onto Zuko’s arm, earning a blush from the firebender and stares from the others. “What!? Everyone else went on a life-changing field trip with Zuko. Now it’s my turn.”

“Okay, then. Let’s just find him already,” Abi said.

Not for long, they searched Ember Island in the hopes of finding Aang. Abi had wondered through the nearby jungles while Suki and Katara went into town, Sokka flew around on Appa which left Toph and Zuko to walk along the beach. When they all found nothing, they returned back to the beach house and waited for Sokka to join them. By the time Sokka had returned, the others had all changed into their normal outfits, except for Abi, Suki and Zuko who remained in their Fire Nation clothes.

“Judging by the looks on your faces, I’m guessing you guys didn’t find Aang either,” Sokka said as Appa landed before he jumped off the bison.

“No. It’s like he just… disappeared,” Zuko stated.

“Hey, wait a minute. Has anyone noticed that Momo is missing, too?” Toph wondered.

“Oh no!” I knew it was only a matter of time!” Sokka exclaimed dramatically as he jumped down to Appa and lifted his mouth. “Momo, I’m coming for you, buddy.”

“Sokka, Appa didn’t eat Momo. He’s probably with Aang,” Katara pointed out.

“That’s just what Appa wants you to think,” Sokka said as he climbed into Appa’s mouth.

“Now is not the time for this nonsense,” Abi snapped.

“Get out of the bison’s mouth, Sokka,” Zuko ordered. “We have a real problem here. Aang is nowhere to be found and the comet is only two days away.”

“What should we do, guys?” Katara asked Abi and Zuko specifically.

“What are we supposed to do?” Abi said

“I don’t know,” Zuko stood up as the others kept staring at the two firebenders. “Why are you all looking at _us_?”

“Well, you guys are kind of the experts on tracking Aang,” Katara pointed out.

“Yeah, if anyone’s got experience hunting the Avatar… it’s you two,” Toph stated as Sokka tried standing up, only to fall back down on Appa’s spit.

“Well, yeah. Back then it was easy cause we knew where you guys were going. Only now we have no idea where the kid could be and the only we to track him down specifically would be with a shirshu,” Abi said.

“Abi, you’re a genius,” Zuko mumbled.

“I am?” Abi gave him a blank look. “I mean, of course, I am. But they might not know why, so you should probably tell them why.”

“Everybody get on Appa. We’re going to the Earth Kingdom,” Zuko ordered.

The others all looked at Abi who shrugged, having no idea what Zuko could possibly be thinking. Something that she had said had obviously given Zuko an idea, she just didn’t know what idea she could’ve given him. They jumped on Appa and Zuko lead the bison towards the Earth Kingdom, with the others still having no idea where they were going.

“Zuko, I don’t wanna tell you how to do your job, but why are we heading towards the Earth Kingdom? There’s no way Aang’s there,” Sokka stated.

“Just trust me,” Zuko murmured.

Their journey continued on Appa and Abi had no idea what Zuko could possibly be thinking by sending them there, when all he was doing was leading them even more off course. Sozin’s Comet was almost upon them and with no sign of the Avatar, they were already in trouble. Whatever idea Zuko had, Abi just hoped that it would be enough to find Aang. Who knew that after all this time she would go right back to where she started, hunting the Avatar?

~*•°•*~ 

Miles away on the Earth Kingdom coast, the area had been completely transformed into a Fire Nation port after the nations conquest. It was a good place for trading goods, and an even better place for keeping prisoners. The area was now being patrolled by General Daisuke, who had taken over from the previous commander only a few days ago. This was yet another chance for Daisuke to redeem himself in the eyes of the Fire Nation.

As he sat in his tent, Daisuke was stunned as several man walked in unannounced. Normally Daisuke would have been furious at anyone for disturbing him unannounced. But when he realised just who it was, he was willing to let it slide.

“We’ve come here to inform you that our mission was almost a complete success,” the Yuyan archer at the front said.

“What do you mean _almost_?” Daisuke asked.

“We have managed to apprehend one of the Fire Rebels, but the other two got away,” the Yuyan archer replied.

“Did you?” Daisuke leaned forward with interest. “Bring them in.”

The Yuyan archers did just that and brought in their newly acquired prisoner, a girl. As they unceremoniously threw her onto the ground, Daisuke couldn’t help but think of his own former prodigy, because beneath him was a teenager girl just like she was.

“What a lovely gift you are,” Daisuke smirked. “Men, you are excused and I thank you for your services. Just this one will do.”

“Thank you for using our services, General Daisuke, sir,” the Yuyan archers said before leaving the room, which left Daisuke alone with his prize.

“Well, hello there, young one. Would you care to tell me your name?” Daisuke acknowledged her.

“I’ll never give you anything that you want!” Aika hissed, determined not to let this man break her. Her eyes had widened when she heard his name, knowing that he was the infamous Daisuke who had trained the Dragoness. She knew from  her brief encounter with the Dragoness that Daisuke was not someone to be messed with.

“You might be saying that now, but I’ll be getting it out of you eventually. Of course, if you’re lucky, I won’t even have to use you for leverage before you’re rescued,” Daisuke said.

“How do you know that?” Aika asked.

“Because you’re here and not where you’re supposed to be. When Gopan finds out that he’s lost one of his own, he will do anything to get you back. Gopan might be a criminal, but the man does care about those in his inner circle. And you are most certainly in his inner circle,” Daisuke smirked.

Aika’s face paled as she realised what this meant. Daisuke didn’t want her, he wanted Gopan. And Aika knew that once Gopan found out what had happened, he would risk anything to get her back. Even if it meant giving up his freedom to free her. With Sozin’s Comet just around the corner, Aika had no idea what was going to happen to her. All she could do was sit back and wait for fate to take it’s course, whether she wanted to or not.

Much to Abi’s annoyance, the others seemed to e sticking to their plan of having Aang face the Fire Lord after the comet came. It enraged Abi since she knew that the Avatar was just being a coward, even if she did agree with him in the fact that he wasn’t ready to face Fire Lord Ozai. The fact of the matter was they were all too willing to let the Fire Lord use the comet for what were sure to be his own destructive purposes. It only made Abi want to take him out on her own, even if it meant risking her own life.

They hadn’t told Zuko about their change of plans, and Abi knew that it was so that he would still train Aang as hard as he had been doing lately. Zuko was training him right now outside of the beach house and since Abi wasn’t exactly pleased with Aang right now, she was staying on the sidelines with the others. Aang was practicing firebending punches while Zuko watched him with his arms crossed.

“More ferocious! Imagine striking through your opponents heart!” Zuko barked.

Aang stopped firebending and turned to Zuko while growling in annoyance, “I’m trying.”

“Now let me here you roar like a tigerdillo!” Zuko commanded and Aang performed easily the most pathetic firebending roar that Abi had ever seen, which only made Zuko more mad. “That sounded pathetic! I said _roar_!”

The second time around was enough for Aang as he roared even louder with three bursts of fire coming out of his hands and mouth. This frightened Momo who ran and hid behind Zuko’s legs in fear. Zuko just nodded approvingly.

“Who wants a nice cool glass of watermelon juice?” Katara asked as she held up two watermelons.

Aang brightened up upon hearing this and ran towards Katara, “Ooh, ooh! Me, me, me!”

“Hey!” Zuko yelled as he grabbed Aang by the shirt of his robes and held him up while the captured Avatar kept trying to run off, but his attempts were in vain. “Your lessons not over yet!”

“Come on, Zuko. Just take a break. What’s the big deal?” Suki said as she lounged on the stairs with Sokka. It took everything in Abi not to snap at her and say that the big deal was Sozin’s Comet, something that they didn’t seem at all concerned about.

“Fine!” Zuko conceded as he let go which allowed Aang to happily run off and take a watermelon. “If you want to lounge around like a bunch of snail sloths all day, then go ahead!” he walked away.

“Maybe Zuko’s right. Sitting around the house has made us pretty lazy. But I know just the thing to change all that,” Sokka proclaimed as he laid his watermelon beside him and stood up slowly before taking off his robe, revealing a bathing suit. “Beach party!”

As soon as Sokka said that, he was running down towards the beach at rocket speed. The others all looked at each other and shrugged before heading off after them while Abi remained behind, becoming even more frustrated. She shared Zuko’s anger at their behaviour but wasn’t exactly free to rage at them like he was. Most of the time Abi just kept her mouth shut and her thoughts to herself, a skill that she’d needed to know beforehand.

Rather reluctantly, Abi decided that she might as well go down as well and at least pretend that she was enjoying herself. If she didn’t, there was a chance that Suki would get all up in her face and order her to have fun. Fun wasn’t exactly something that Abi liked, since everyone else’s version of fun seemed to be so twisted. Abi had her own version of fun that consisted of training and doing missions, but she knew most people wouldn’t consider that fun.

When Abi reached the beach, their little beach party was already in full motion. She saw Sokka diving into the water with a splash, resurfacing with seaweed on his head. Katara was using waterbending to create an ice surfboard and surfed on the water. Suki was watching Sokka grab some seaweed and brig it to an area, taking two buckets and filling them with water as well. Aang was making a life-sized sand sculpture of Appa, sticking in a piece of wood to represent his horns.

“Check out my Appa sand sculpture!” Aang exclaimed as Appa roared at the sculpture.

“Not bad, baldy, but I’ve been working on my sandbending. You’re gonna love this,” Toph said as she cracked her fingers and knuckles, using sandbending to create some kind of sand sculpture that looked like a giant town to Abi. Aang peered down at the replica’s details.

“Whoa!” he awed. “Wow, you’ve even made a little Earth King and Bosco.”

“Who the what now?” Abi asked.

“It’s Ba Sing Se, can’t you see?” Aang replied.

Abi rolled her eyes, “Since I’ve never actually been to or seen Ba Sing Se, no, I can’t. And don’t you guys think that you have more important things to worry about than stupid little beach parties? Like, I don’t know, the fucking comet?”

“Language, Rogue. Don’t you know that we’re kids?” Toph said sarcastically.

“Yeah, kids who are fighting in a war. You’re hardly kids in my eyes,” Abi remarked.

“And having beach parties are what normal kids do,” Aang piped up. “We deserve to have a little bit of fun with everything that’s going on.”

“Yeah, don’t be such a stick in the mud and have some fun,” Toph added.

“Your version of fun is very different to mine,” Abi muttered as she heard the noise that Sokka was making ahead. “And apparently, so is his with whatever he’s doing.”

Toph scoffed, “I’d like to see him try and top my masterpiece.”

Based on the giant blob of sand, Abi assumed that Sokka was trying to make his own sand sculpture. When he was finished, he revealed a grotesque looking sculpture with seaweed for hair, a starfish for a nose, with rocks and shells for eyes and mouth.

“Is that a blubbering blob monster?” Aang asked.

“No, it’s Suki!” Sokka defended his ‘creation.’

Although she wasn’t one to laugh, Abi couldn’t help but burst out laughing along with Aang and Toph. Out of everything, Abi didn’t think that hideous lot of sand was supposed to represent Suki. If Abi were Suki, she’d be feeling pretty insulted right about now but knowing Suki, she probably wouldn’t feel that way.

“Suki, we’ll all understand if you break up with him over this,” Toph remarked.

“I think it’s sweet,” Suki smiled as she sat on her beach towel.

“Of course you do,” Abi muttered.

Apparently Suki’s validation was all that mattered as Sokka ran and slid onto his knees as he grabbed Suki by her shoulders and kissed her on the cheek. Seeing that kind of affection was almost bizarre to Abi, since she couldn’t understand how people could be so… intimate with each other.

“But it doesn’t even look like –“ Aang started, only to be cut off by a fire blast that destroyed the Suki sand sculpture.

They all looked at each other in shock before Abi spotted Zuko who was now chasing Aang, blasting at him with firebending. Aang jumped over the sand replica of Ba Sing Se and Zuko destroyed the replica. Aang hid behind his Appa sand sculpture.

“What are you doing?” Aang asked as he peeked out from behind the sculpture fearfully.

“Teaching you a lesson!” Zuko said.

Showing no mercy to the Appa sand sculpture, Zuko destroyed it with a fire blast as Aang jumped back up to the house. Zuko went after him, continually firing blasts at him. Katara came back to shore and saw the destruction.

“What happened?” she exclaimed.

“Zuko’s gone crazy! I made a sand sculpture of Suki and he destroyed it!” Sokka cried out before taking a brief pause. “Oh, and he’s attacking Aang.”

Abi shook her head, “You need to get your priorities sorted out.”

They all went off running back to the beach house, with Suki dragging Sokka behind them. When they got to the beach house, it seemed like Aang and Zuko had taken things inside before they suddenly heard a loud shout of ENOUGH before a large blast of air sent Zuko hurling out of the house, landing on the ground as everyone approached him.

“What’s wrong with you? You could have hurt Aang!” Katara demanded.

“What’s wrong with _me_? What’s wrong with all of you? How can you sit around having beach parties when Sozin’s Comet is only three days away?” Zuko shouted back angrily, only to get no response as everyone looked at him blankly. “Why are you all looking at me like I’m crazy?”

“About Sozin’s Comet…” Aang trailed off. “I was actually gonna wait to fight the Fire Lord until after it came.”

“After?” Zuko repeated, shocked.

“I’m not ready. I need more time to master firebending,” Aang said.

“And frankly, your earthbending could still use some work too,” Toph added, causing Aang to grimace.

“So, you all knew Aang was going to wait?” Zuko asked.

“For the record, I do not agree with this,” Abi raised her hand.

“Honestly, if Aang tries to fight the Fire Lord now, he’s going to lose,” Sokka said and Aang looked over to Sokka as he said this, frowning and closed his eyes in defeat. “No offence,” he quickly added.

“The whole point of fighting the Fire Lord before the Comet was to stop the Fire Nation from winning the War, but they pretty much won the War when they took Ba Sing Se. Things can’t get any worse,” Katara reasoned.

“You’re wrong. It’s about to get more worse than you can even imagine,” Zuko replied.

Everyone stared at him in anticipation as Zuko began to explain how things could get even more worse. Just as Abi had suspected, Fire Lord Ozai was planning on doing something destructive with the comet but like Zuko had said, it was worse than anything Abi could imagine. Though she really shouldn’t be surprised that Fire Lord Ozai would try to end the war like he planned, since that was how it had begun after all.

Once Zuko revealed that Fire Lord Ozai planned on using the comet to burn down the Earth Kingdom, everyone was stunned. Abi could practically feel the fear coming from them. Only she wasn’t terrified like they were. For the most part, Abi was just stunned at Zuko’s revelation. Sure, she knew that Ozai was a horrible monster, but she certainly hadn’t expected him to come up with a plan like this. Committing genocide was one thing, but then taking over that land and making it his own was something else entirely. Not even Sozin had done this with the Air Nomads.

“I can’t believe this,” Katara murmured as she sunk to her knees.

“I always knew the Fire Lord was a bad guy, but this plan is just pure evil,” Sokka commented.

“It sure is something else,” Abi remarked.

“What am I gonna do?” Aang asked.

Zuko stood up from his rock seat and walked towards Aang, “I know you’re scared, and I know you’re not ready to save the world, but if you don’t defeat the Fire Lord before the comet comes, there won’t be a world to save anymore.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about your dad’s crazy plan sooner then?” Aang squawked after a moment of silence.

“I didn’t think I had to. I assumed you were still going to fight him before the comet. No one told _me_ you decided to wait,” Zuko replied in an agitated voice.

“This is bad. This is really, really bad,” Aang held his head with both hands as he sunk down to his knees.

“Aang, you don’t have to do this alone,” Katara stated.

“Yeah, if we all fight the Fire Lord together, we got a shot at taking him down,” Toph added.

“All right! Team Avatar is back!” Sokka exclaimed as he pointed at the others while saying their respective elements. “Air. Water. Earth. Fire times two.” He then gave Suki a clump of leaves and held up a large leaf. “Fan and sword!”

“Fighting the Fire Lord is going to be the hardest thing we’ve ever done, but I wouldn’t want to do it any other way,” Aang smiled.

Everybody except Abi and Zuko laughed and walked over to Aang for a group hug. The two firebenders stood their awkwardly, with Zuko unsure of what he was supposed to do while Abi wanted no part of their little love fest.

“Get over here, you two. Being part of the group also means being part of group hugs,” Katara ushered them over.

With a resigned look on both their faces, Abi and Zuko joined the hug. Abi just stood there as Sokka and Suki wrapped their arms around her until their both forcefully put her arms around them. Appa then flew in, knocking the entire group over.

“This is why I don’t like hugs!” Abi snapped.

~*•°•*~ 

Later that day, Zuko took Aang and Abi to the beach house courtyard. He said that he had something to show them both, which had instantly earned Abi’s curiosity. Under the pavilion, Katara watched with Momo at her side.

“There’s one technique that both of you should know before we face our enemies – how to redirect lightning,” Zuko declared. Aang smiled while Abi raised her eyebrows in curiosity. Now this certainly wasn’t anything that Abi had heard of before.

“If you let the energy in your own body flow, the lightning will follow it. You turn your opponents’ energy against them,” Zuko instructed as he used his fingers to show how the energy should flow through the body.

“That’s like waterbending,” Aang stated as he joined Zuko in practicing the lightning redirection form. After a few moments of memorising it, Abi joined in as well.

“Where’d you learn this technique from? No offence, but I doubt you’re clever enough to come up with something like this on your own,” Abi remarked.

“Some taken,” Zuko muttered. “And you’re right, Aang. My uncle invented this technique himself by studying waterbenders.”

“So, have _you_ ever redirected lightning before?” Aang wondered.

“Once, against my father,” Zuko replied.

“What did it feel like?” Aang asked.

“Exhilarating…” Zuko trailed off as he stopped practicing the lightning redirection form. “But terrifying. You feel so powerful holding that much energy in your body, but you know if you make the wrong move, it’s over.”

Aang chuckled awkwardly, “Well, not _over,_ over. I mean, there’s always Katara and a little Spirit Water action, am I right?”

“Actually, I used it all up after Azula shot you,” Katara replied.

“Oh,” Aang murmured disappointingly.

“You’ll have to take the Fire Lord’s life before he takes yours,” Zuko said.

“Yeah, I’ll just do that,” Aang said with hardly any confidence.

That was enough of an indication to Abi that Aang was doubting his ability to kill the Fire Lord. Abi knew that he had the power to and that the problem was his own moral compass. As Zuko headed off, Abi followed after him.

“And you really think he’s going to be able to do that?” Abi asked Zuko from behind.

“Of course he can. He’s the Avatar,” Zuko remarked.

Abi rolled her eyes, “Being able to kill someone is one thing, but wanting to kill someone is something else entirely.”

Zuko narrowed his eyes, “You don’t think Aang’s gonna do it?”

“Face it, Zuko. That kid doesn’t have one ruthless bone in his body. He’s a softie. It’s going to take a lot to get him to even want to take another life, even if that life doesn’t deserve to live,” Abi said.

“Well, my father certainly doesn’t deserve his,” Zuko muttered darkly. “And if Aang looked at the bigger picture, he’d realised that there’s no way he can escape this. The only way for the world to truly be at peace after this war is for my father to die.”

“If Arrows chickens out, I’ll be more than happy to deliver the final blow,” Abi shrugged.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Come on, we need to get ready for Sokka’s training session,” Zuko said.

“I’d like to see how he could possibly prepare us for the biggest battle of our lives,” Abi remarked.

“You’d be surprised at what he can come up with,” Zuko stated.

What Sokka had come up with was certainly not what Abi had expected. When the sun started to rise, they all assembled at the rocky cliffs near the beach where there was a draped mannequin positioned near the edge.

“Gather round, Team Avatar,” Sokka ordered as he put a carved melon on the mannequin. “In order to take out the Fire Lord – or in this case, the Melon Lord, our timing has to be perfect.” He knelt down on the ground and used a stick to draw a line heading toward the Melon Lord symbol. “First, Suki and I will draw his fire. Then, Katara and Zuko charge in with some liquidy hot offense,” he drew another line,” and while the Melon Lord is distracted,” he drew a third line and destroyed the Melon Lord symbol with the line, “Aang swoops in… and bam! He delivers the final blow.”

“Uh… what about us?” Toph asked, pointing at her and Abi.

“Yeah, what are we supposed to do?” Abi added.

“For now, you guys are the Melon Lord’s forces,” Sokka replied.

“So I get to chuck flaming rocks at all of you?” Toph piped up.

“And I get to light up those flaming rocks and then some?” Abi added.

“Whatever makes the training feel more realistic,” Sokka said.

“Sweetness,” Toph grinned.

“Oh, it’ll certainly be realistic,” Abi smirked, causing the others to look at each other with nerves.

“But not _too_ realistic, okay? We don’t want any trouble,” Sokka interjected.

There was no way that Abi was going to let Sokka take his words back since she certainly had some pent up frustration that she’d been waiting to let out. The last time that Abi had openly attacked Team Avatar was way back in that abandoned Earth Kingdom time, so it had certainly been a while.

“Mwah-ha-ha-ha!” Toph cackled evilly as she and Abi stood near the edge of the cliff.

According to plan, Sokka and Suki ran towards the Melon Lord, but were confronted with stone Fire Nation soldiers, who suddenly rose out of the ground. Sokka cut one stone soldier in half and Suki kicked down another one. They kept running, but a large burning rock boulder fell out of the sky, blocking their path. Suki jumped over the boulder, while Sokka found himself on the ground just a few inches away from the flaming boulder and jumped up.

“Watch it, Toph!” Sokka barked.

“I am not Toph. I am Melon Lord! Mwah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!” Toph cackled.

Beside her, Abi lit a second boulder on fire before Toph sent it through the air towards Katara and Zuko. As Toph kept them occupied with a circle of stone Fire Nation soldiers, Abi unleashed multiple fire blasts on Sokka and Suki, barely giving them time to avoid them.

“Are you trying to burn us alive?” Sokka demanded.

“Hey, you’re the one who let a former crazy firebender and a blind girl take this spot,” Abi remarked.

“Well, now it’s time for you to be taken out! Now, Aang!” Sokka yelled.

Out of nowhere, Aang jumped, preparing to strike the Melon Lord with his glider staff. Abi had a feeling that when it came to taking out the real deal, it was going to take a lot more than a simple staff to defeat the Fire Lord. Just before Aang could take out the Melon Lord, he stopped his attack and backed away. This didn’t come as a huge surprise to Abi, since she knew that Aang was too weak to do something like this, even to a melon replica.

“What are you waiting for? Take him out!” Zuko shouted.

“I can’t,” Aang shook his head.

“What’s wrong with you? If this was the real deal, you’d be shot full of lightning right now,” Sokka said as he walked up to Aang.

“I’m sorry, but it just didn’t feel right. I didn’t feel like myself,” Aang argued.

“It’s just a stupid melon. It’s not like it’ll feel anything,” Abi commented.

Sokka then took out his sword and sliced the melon in half, causing Aang to wince as he heard the squishing sounds.

“There, that’s how it’s done,” Sokka stated.

A piece of melon fell on the ground near the Melon Lord. Momo slurped some melon juice out of the piece while Aang looked on in horror. If this was his reaction to a simple _melon_ , then Abi had no idea how he would react to killing an actual person. That was, if Aang could even kill someone, which she highly doubted.

~*•°•*~ 

Later that night, everyone was sharing a meal outside. Everyone except Aang, who was facing away from the rest of the group. Even Abi had joined them as Aang isolated himself.

“I have a surprise for everyone!” Katara grinned as she held up a scroll.

“I knew it! You did have a secret thing with Haru!” Toph exclaimed, smiling wide as everyone looked at her strangely.

“Uh, no. I was looking for cooking pots in the attic, and I found this!” Katara unravelled the scroll that showed a painting of a happy, dark-haired baby playing at the beach. “Look at baby Zuko. Isn’t he cute?”

“Adorable,” Abi drawled, already knowing that the baby _wasn’t_ Zuko.

“Oh, lighten up. I’m just teasing,” Katara said as everyone except Zuko laughed.

“That’s not me. It’s my father,” Zuko stated, and Katara quickly rolled up the scroll.

“But he looks so sweet and innocent,” Suki murmured.

Abi scoffed, “He’s not anymore.”

“Yeah, that sweet little kid grew up to be a monster, and the worst father in the history of fathers,” Zuko added.

“But he’s still a human being,” Aang spoke up for the first time since dinner began.

“You’re going to defend him?” Zuko asked sharply.

“No, I agree with you,” Aang stood up. “Fire Lord Ozai is a horrible person, and the world would probably be better off without him, but there’s gotta be another we.”

“Here we go,” Abi muttered.

“Like what?” Zuko snapped.

“I don’t know,” Aang perked up. “Maybe we can make some big pots of glue, and then I can use gluebending to stick his arms and legs together so he can’t bend anymore.”

“Yeah, then you can show him his baby pictures, and all those happy memories will make him good again,” Zuko said sarcastically as Sokka and Suki laughed in the background.

“Do you really think that would work?” Aang asked excitedly, and Abi did a face palm at his ignorance to their obvious mocking.

“No!” Zuko said bluntly.

Aang sighed as he paced back and forth, “This goes against everything I learned from the monks. I can’t just go around wiping out people I don’t like.”

“Sure you can. You’re the Avatar. If it’s in the name of keeping balance, I’m pretty sure the universe will forgive you,” Sokka remarked.

Aang turned back to Sokka in a rare showing of him losing his temper, “This isn’t a joke, Sokka! None of you understand the position I’m in.”

“Aang, we do understand. It’s just…” Katara trailed off.

“Just what, Katara? What?” Aang interrupted her.

“We’re trying to help!” Katara yelled.

“Then, when you figure out a way for me to beat the Fire Lord without taking his life, I’d love to hear it!” Aang snapped and started walking away.

“Aang, don’t walk away form this!” Katara shouted as she walked towards him.

Zuko put a hand on Katara’s shoulder to stop her, “Let him go. He needs time to sort it out by himself.”

Abi rolled her eyes, “If you give him that time then this is never gonna get sorted out. He’s not going to take the Fire Lord’s life, point blank. And there’s nothing that you guys can do to convince him otherwise cause he’s too stubborn to realise that that sometimes he just needs to put his Avatar pants on and do his fucking job.”

“He’s just a kid! And it’s not right for you guys to laugh at him for not wanting to do something that he doesn’t feel comfortable with,” Katara argued.

“He’s the Avatar, it’s what he’s supposed to do,” Abi snapped.

Having heard enough of their excuses, Abi got up and left them to their own devices. It wasn’t a surprise to her that Katara would defend Aang’s cowardice since they had their little thing going on. As much as Abi didn’t think that the Fire Lord should be killed for her own judicial reasons, Abi knew that the world wouldn’t be safe with Fire Lord Ozai still alive. She thought it was selfish for Aang to be putting his own personal beliefs in front of the world. He needed to toughen up.

As the night went on, Abi found herself struggling to keep her thoughts to herself. What she was thinking was something that Aang needed to here because he needed to get off his high horse and face his destiny. When Abi found Aang, he was sitting near the balcony with Momo by his side. For a few moments, Abi just stood there and watched him until she made her presence known.

“For what it’s worth, I don’t think you should kill the Fire Lord,” Abi spoke up.

Aang whipped around to see her standing there, “What? Weren’t you just saying that it was what I needed to do?”

“For the sake of the world, it’s what you need to do but personally, I don’t think that the Fire Lord should die,” Abi clarified.

“Oh,” Aang murmured, slightly stunned by Abi’s revelation. “Why would you think that?”

“Because death would be a far too merciful punishment for Ozai. Someone like him deserves to spend the rest of their life rotting away for all of the pain and suffering that he has inflicted on people. As much as he would deserve to die, he deserves to rot more than that,” Abi answered.

“Well, that’s not really how I see it,” Aang mumbled. “The monks always told me that there is good deep inside everyone and that all life is sacred. I would be going against everything that I was taught by taking his life.”

Abi sighed, “Look, I get that you think it’s wrong but this isn’t about you, Avatar. There is more at stake here than your beliefs and your moral code. If Fire Lord Ozai survives, the world will always be at risk. As much as he should spend the rest of his pathetic life wasting away in prison, killing him would remove the threat he would always pose.”

“You think that even if he’s in prison he would still be a threat?” Aang asked.

“Of course. And not just because of him, but because of his supporters. Not everyone in the Fire Nation will be so welcoming to a new regime after spending the last hundred years living their lives a certain way. There will be people that will want Fire Lord Ozai back in power, regardless of who is put in charge,” Abi replied.

“You certainly have such a pessimistic view on things,” Aang commented.

Abi shrugged, “If you could see things my way, you’d understand why I feel how I feel.”

“Just like you guys would understand why I can’t kill Fire Lord Ozai if you put yourselves in my shoes,” Aang said.

“Using my own words against me, huh? Impressive, I’ll admit. Listen, Avatar. I get why it’s hard for you to do this. You’re still just a kid and you’re being asked to take someone’s life. Trust me when I say that me, of all people, understands that kind of pressure. But you’re being selfish. You’re putting yourself first when you should be putting the world first,” Abi proclaimed.

With her peace said, Abi turned around and left Aang to ponder her words so that he would hopefully realise the gravity of this situation. But deep down, Abi severely doubted if Aang would even taken on her advice and figured that he would try to get out of taking the Fire Lords life by any means necessary.

~*•°•*~ 

On the second day before Sozin’s Comet’s arrival, everyone woke up to get ready for their departure. When Abi joined them out in the courtyard, everyone was there except Aang as Appa ate some hay while Sokka sat on his saddle.

“Okay, that’s everything,” Sokka declared.

“No, it’s not. Where’s Aang?” Toph wondered.

They all ran inside the beach house, calling out Aang’s name in search of the Avatar. Abi wasn’t sure what exactly was going on, but she had a feeling that it was something bad with Aang nowhere to be found.

“Aang? Aang!” Zuko called.

“Come on, lazy bones, let’s go,” Toph added.

Splitting up to find Aang faster seemed like the best idea, so that’s what they did. Abi, Suki and Katara ran to check one side of the beach house while Sokka, Zuko and Toph went to check the other. They all couldn’t find him so they went to the porch where Aang had been last night, only to find Aang’s staff there.

“He left his staff,” Sokka stated as he picked it up. “That’s so strange.”

“Aang’s not in the house. Let’s check the beach,” Zuko suggested.

Based on the way things were going, Abi wasn’t even sure if they’d find Aang on the beach. Quite frankly, she was starting to think that Aang was nowhere nearby. They did find his footprints on the beach though, but they disappeared once they reached the ocean.

“Look, there’s his footprints. The trail ends here,” Sokka observed.

“So, he went for a midnight swim and never came back?” Suki asked.

“Maybe he was captured,” Katara said worriedly.

“I don’t think so,” Sokka examined the footprints. “There’s no sign of a struggle.”

“I bet he ran away again,” Toph stated.

“Uh-uh. He left behind his glider and Appa,” Sokka replied.

“Then what do _you_ think happened to him, oh sleuthy one?” Toph asked.

“It’s pretty obvious. Aang mysteriously disappeared before an important battle? He’s definitely on a Spirit World journey,” Sokka said.

“But if he was, wouldn’t his body still be here?” Zuko pointed out.

“Oh, yeah. Forgot about that,” Sokka mumbled.

“Then he’s got to be somewhere on Ember Island. Let’s split up and look for him,” Katara suggested.

“I’m going with Zuko!” Toph exclaimed as she latched onto Zuko’s arm, earning a blush from the firebender and stares from the others. “What!? Everyone else went on a life-changing field trip with Zuko. Now it’s my turn.”

“Okay, then. Let’s just find him already,” Abi said.

Not for long, they searched Ember Island in the hopes of finding Aang. Abi had wondered through the nearby jungles while Suki and Katara went into town, Sokka flew around on Appa which left Toph and Zuko to walk along the beach. When they all found nothing, they returned back to the beach house and waited for Sokka to join them. By the time Sokka had returned, the others had all changed into their normal outfits, except for Abi, Suki and Zuko who remained in their Fire Nation clothes.

“Judging by the looks on your faces, I’m guessing you guys didn’t find Aang either,” Sokka said as Appa landed before he jumped off the bison.

“No. It’s like he just… disappeared,” Zuko stated.

“Hey, wait a minute. Has anyone noticed that Momo is missing, too?” Toph wondered.

“Oh no!” I knew it was only a matter of time!” Sokka exclaimed dramatically as he jumped down to Appa and lifted his mouth. “Momo, I’m coming for you, buddy.”

“Sokka, Appa didn’t eat Momo. He’s probably with Aang,” Katara pointed out.

“That’s just what Appa wants you to think,” Sokka said as he climbed into Appa’s mouth.

“Now is not the time for this nonsense,” Abi snapped.

“Get out of the bison’s mouth, Sokka,” Zuko ordered. “We have a real problem here. Aang is nowhere to be found and the comet is only two days away.”

“What should we do, guys?” Katara asked Abi and Zuko specifically.

“What are we supposed to do?” Abi said

“I don’t know,” Zuko stood up as the others kept staring at the two firebenders. “Why are you all looking at _us_?”

“Well, you guys are kind of the experts on tracking Aang,” Katara pointed out.

“Yeah, if anyone’s got experience hunting the Avatar… it’s you two,” Toph stated as Sokka tried standing up, only to fall back down on Appa’s spit.

“Well, yeah. Back then it was easy cause we knew where you guys were going. Only now we have no idea where the kid could be and the only we to track him down specifically would be with a shirshu,” Abi said.

“Abi, you’re a genius,” Zuko mumbled.

“I am?” Abi gave him a blank look. “I mean, of course, I am. But they might not know why, so you should probably tell them why.”

“Everybody get on Appa. We’re going to the Earth Kingdom,” Zuko ordered.

The others all looked at Abi who shrugged, having no idea what Zuko could possibly be thinking. Something that she had said had obviously given Zuko an idea, she just didn’t know what idea she could’ve given him. They jumped on Appa and Zuko lead the bison towards the Earth Kingdom, with the others still having no idea where they were going.

“Zuko, I don’t wanna tell you how to do your job, but why are we heading towards the Earth Kingdom? There’s no way Aang’s there,” Sokka stated.

“Just trust me,” Zuko murmured.

Their journey continued on Appa and Abi had no idea what Zuko could possibly be thinking by sending them there, when all he was doing was leading them even more off course. Sozin’s Comet was almost upon them and with no sign of the Avatar, they were already in trouble. Whatever idea Zuko had, Abi just hoped that it would be enough to find Aang. Who knew that after all this time she would go right back to where she started, hunting the Avatar?

~*•°•*~ 

Miles away on the Earth Kingdom coast, the area had been completely transformed into a Fire Nation port after the nations conquest. It was a good place for trading goods, and an even better place for keeping prisoners. The area was now being patrolled by General Daisuke, who had taken over from the previous commander only a few days ago. This was yet another chance for Daisuke to redeem himself in the eyes of the Fire Nation.

As he sat in his tent, Daisuke was stunned as several man walked in unannounced. Normally Daisuke would have been furious at anyone for disturbing him unannounced. But when he realised just who it was, he was willing to let it slide.

“We’ve come here to inform you that our mission was almost a complete success,” the Yuyan archer at the front said.

“What do you mean _almost_?” Daisuke asked.

“We have managed to apprehend one of the Fire Rebels, but the other two got away,” the Yuyan archer replied.

“Did you?” Daisuke leaned forward with interest. “Bring them in.”

The Yuyan archers did just that and brought in their newly acquired prisoner, a girl. As they unceremoniously threw her onto the ground, Daisuke couldn’t help but think of his own former prodigy, because beneath him was a teenager girl just like she was.

“What a lovely gift you are,” Daisuke smirked. “Men, you are excused and I thank you for your services. Just this one will do.”

“Thank you for using our services, General Daisuke, sir,” the Yuyan archers said before leaving the room, which left Daisuke alone with his prize.

“Well, hello there, young one. Would you care to tell me your name?” Daisuke acknowledged her.

“I’ll never give you anything that you want!” Aika hissed, determined not to let this man break her. Her eyes had widened when she heard his name, knowing that he was the infamous Daisuke who had trained the Dragoness. She knew from  her brief encounter with the Dragoness that Daisuke was not someone to be messed with.

“You might be saying that now, but I’ll be getting it out of you eventually. Of course, if you’re lucky, I won’t even have to use you for leverage before you’re rescued,” Daisuke said.

“How do you know that?” Aika asked.

“Because you’re here and not where you’re supposed to be. When Gopan finds out that he’s lost one of his own, he will do anything to get you back. Gopan might be a criminal, but the man does care about those in his inner circle. And you are most certainly in his inner circle,” Daisuke smirked.

Aika’s face paled as she realised what this meant. Daisuke didn’t want her, he wanted Gopan. And Aika knew that once Gopan found out what had happened, he would risk anything to get her back. Even if it meant giving up his freedom to free her. With Sozin’s Comet just around the corner, Aika had no idea what was going to happen to her. All she could do was sit back and wait for fate to take it’s course, whether she wanted to or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There’s now just two more chapters to go and I never thought that I would be looking forward to the end of this story so much, since I didn’t plan on having it end like it’s now going to. Including the Underground Society wasn’t supposed to be apart of the original finale arc, but the reasons why I’ve changed it will be explained in the final chapter. Abi’s thoughts on Aang’s decision are basically my own, since it was annoying watching Aang be all moral high and stuff when the fate of the world is literally at stake. All of the drama that’s happened in the comics with the New Ozai Society and even the Harmony Restoration Movement is because Aang refused to kill Ozai. So long as he is alive, there will always be a threat amongst them. And it’s not that I blame Aang, I blame the show cause it’s a kids show and murdering a character like that just would not fit it well. So buckle up for the last two chapters cause the end is well and truly upon us.


	74. Destiny to Face

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With the end of this story in sight, you better believe that I’ve still got a few curveballs to throw your way, some of which you’re going to see in this chapter. Although the story was supposed to end at 75 chapters, I’m not sure if that’s going to be the case with the changes that I’ve had to make so we’ll just have to wait and see.

It wasn’t until Zuko landed Appa near a seedy Earth Kingdom tavern when Abi realised what they were doing on this side of the world. She remembered the woman who she met here all those months ago, and she remembered the favour that the woman gave her for helping her shirshu. Abi wondered how Zuko knew the woman, since the reason for their arrival here hadn’t yet dawned on the others.

“And the reason you brought us to a seedy Earth Kingdom tavern is what now?” Katara asked as they walked inside.

“June,” Zuko replied as he pointed across the floor.

Sure enough, sitting across the floor was June as she held a drink in her hands. A thug tried to attack her, but she effortlessly made him fall down and used him as a foot rest. Another thug tried to punch her, but she dodged every punch, still holding her drink.

“Oh yeah, that weird bounty hunter with the giant mole,” Sokka said.

“Mole? Her skin is flawless,” Suki commented.

“No, she has this giant mole creature she rides around on,” Sokka clarified.

“The shirshu. It’s the only animal that can track Aang’s sent anywhere in the world. It’s the one shot we have of finding him,” Zuko explained.

The second thug continued trying to punch June. She threw her drink into the air, threw the thug at the table, caught her drink and took a sip. Abi had to admit that the act was impressive, and she wasn’t the only one who thought that.

“I don’t know who this June lady is, but I like her,” Toph grinned broadly.

“Hey, didn’t she help you attack us?” Sokka exclaimed.

“Yup,” Zuko replied as he stepped forward. “Back in the good old days.”

“And she owes me a favour too,” Abi spoke up.

Katara glanced at her, “For what?”

“I saved her beast,” Abi shrugged.

They continued walking towards June who kicked a chair in the foreground and sat down as she started drinking her tea. It didn’t take her long to spot a collection of familiar faces.

“Oh great. It’s Prince Pouty,” June acknowledged Zuko as he approached her. “Where’s your creepy grandpa?”

“He’s my uncle. And he’s not here,” Zuko replied.

June glanced between Katara and Zuko, “I see you worked things out with your girlfriend.”

Katara became flustered and embarrassed as she and Zuko looked at each other as they spoke, “I’m not his girlfriend!”

“She’s not my girlfriend!” Zuko exclaimed at the same time.

“Okay, okay. Sheesh. I was only teasing,” June remarked. “So what do you want?”

“I need your help finding the Avatar,” Zuko answered.

“Hm. Doesn’t sound too fun,” June said as she sipped her tea.

Zuko leaned closer as he angrily clenched his fists, “Does the end of the world sound like more fun?”

“Way to be dramatic, Hothead,” Abi rolled her eyes as she pushed Sokka out of the way. “Remember me?”

June glanced at her, “Yeah, I remember you, Feisty.”

“You owe me a favour, and I want to cash in,” Abi crossed her arms.

“I’m guessing this favour is his request?” June asked.

Abi nodded, “It is. And you really would be better helping us regardless, so just do it.”

“Fine,” June conceded as she got up. “Follow me.”

They did just that and followed June outside to where her shirshu was waiting with Appa as they growled at each other. Appa licked Nyla, and they lied down. They both stood up as June and the others approached them.

“Nyla,” June called out as she held a piece of meat and threw it towards him. The shirshu caught it in his mouth and started chewing it before swallowing it; June walked up to him and started petting him. “Who’s my little, hmm, Snuffly-Wuffly?” Nyla stuck out his tongue which June barely dodged before forcing his mouth closed. “Whoa! Careful there. Okay, so who’s got something with the Avatar’s scent on it?”

“I have Aang’s staff,” Katara replied as she pulled out Aang’s glider from Appa’s saddle.

The bounty hunter approached and held the staff out in front of Nyla. He sniffed it and began walking around in circles. Once Nyla returned to June and continued sniffing, he lied back down and covered his nose.

“Well, what does that mean?” Toph asked.

“Mean’s your friend’s gone,” June answered as she petted Nyla.

“We know he’s gone. That’s why we’re trying to find him,” Toph commented sarcastically.

“No, I mean he’s _gone_ gone,” June said as she turned to face everyone else. “He doesn’t exist.”

Her words were enough to send immediate worry and confusion through the others as they glanced at each other. Abi was mostly confused, since she had no idea what June meant by him not existing. Sokka was the first to recover from the shock.

“What do you mean Aang doesn’t exist? Do you mean he’s… you know, dead?” Sokka questioned.

“Nope. We could find him if he were dead. Wow, it’s a real head-scratcher. See ya,” June called as she started climbing on top of Nyla.

“Helpful. Real helpful,” Toph scowled as she crossed her arms.

“Wait. I have another idea,” Zuko said to June. “There’s only one other person in this world who can help us face the Fire Lord. I’ll be right back with a smell sample.”

His ‘smell sample’ turned out to be a small sandal that reeked of an unnatural scent. Everyone held their noses in disgust, except for Abi, Zuko and Toph. Zuko looked embarrassed while Abi crossed her arms.

“You saved your uncle’s sweaty sandal? Ugh!” Sokka pinched his nose even tighter.

“I think it’s kind of sweet,” Toph smiled.

“And disturbing,” Abi added.

Nyla jumped forward and started sniffing the sandal. Unlike his previous attempt, Nyla seemed to catch a scent which snapped him into action.

“Let’s do this,” June said determinedly as she and Nyla ran off.

“Hey! Wait up!” Zuko called out.

Not wanting to be left behind, they all quickly got on Appa before his tail hit the ground and took off in the same direction of the shirshu. They travelled during the day and night and Abi was puzzled as they seemed to be heading deeper into the Earth Kingdom. Finally, Nyla reached a destroyed wall which marked the end of his journey.

“We’re going to Ba Sing Se?” Zuko stated.

“Your uncle’s somewhere beyond the wall,” June replied as Nyla stopped digging at the wall and walked away. “Nyla’s getting twitchy so he can’t be too far. Good luck.”

In an instant, the bounty hunter and the shirshu were gone, leaving the others behind. Abi was almost stunned that they were at Ba Sing Se, since this was not how she had expected it to be. Then again, it’s probably undergone a lot of changes since it was overtaken by the Fire Nation.

“It’s been a long day. Let’s camp and start our search again at dawn,” Zuko suggested.

Nobody seemed to want to argue with Zuko and were all too happy to settle down and get some rest. They were certainly going to need it with the arrival of Sozin’s Comet becoming closer and closer.

Hours ticked by as the group slept underneath the stars. They were suddenly woken by a blast of fire that surrounded them as Toph removed her earth tent. Everyone glanced at each other in alarm before they realised that they were surrounded by several men dressed in blue and white robes.

“Well, look who’s here!” one of the men started laughing and snorting.

Everyone except for Katara and Sokka were confused at the sudden intrusion. Abi was about ready to attack their intruders until a familiar voice caught her attention.

“There will be no need for attacking us, Abi,” they spoke.

Now it was Katara and Sokka’s turn to be confused at the thought of Abi knowing one of these men. It then dawned on them that they didn’t know the man who had addressed Abi, but they clearly knew each other.

“Osamu,” Abi addressed her old acquaintance.

The man grinned, “Nice to see you out of bars.”

“Nice to be out of bars,” Abi remarked.

“What’s going on? We’re surrounded by old people,” Toph said as the men approached them.

“Not just any old people. These are great masters and friends of ours,” Katara replied as she approached one of the men and bowed to him. “Pakku.”

“It is respectful to bow to an old master,” the man bowed back before extending his arms. “But how about a hug for your new grandfather?”

“That’s so exciting!” Katara exclaimed, overjoyed at the news. “You and Gran-Gran must be so happy to have found each other again!”

“I made her a new betrothal necklace and everything,” Pakku said.

Sokka ran up to him and hugged him, “Welcome to the family, Gramp-Gramp!”

Pakku gently pushed him away, “You can still just call me Pakku.”

“How about Grand-Pakku?” Sokka suggested.

“No,” Pakku replied stiffly.

“And this was Aang’s first firebending teacher,” Katara introduced Zuko to the man that Abi knew was Jeong Jeong.

“Jeong Jeong,” the man bowed.

“Master Piandao,” Sokka addressed the swordmaster.

“Hello, Sokka,” he bowed back before turning to Abi. “And Abi, wonderful to see you again.”

“You too, Master,” Abi acknowledged him.

“I see you’ve found your place,” Osamu stated.

“Not exactly, no. But I’m getting there,” Abi admitted.

“I can still remember the first time I tried talking some sense into you only for you to be adamant that you were on the right path, yet here you are now,” Osamu said.

“Don’t feel bad, I was always hard to convince otherwise,” Abi remarked.

“So wait. How do you all know each other?” Suki asked.

“All old people know each other. Don’t you know that?” the oldest of them replied with a laugh and snort.

“We’re all part of the same ancient secret society. A group that transcends the divisions of the four nations,” Piandao continued.

“The Order of the White Lotus,” Zuko realised.

The old man slid in front of them, “That’s the one.”

“The White Lotus has always been about philosophy and beauty and truth. But about a month ago, a call went out that we were needed for something important,” Jeong Jeong explained.

Pakku turned to Zuko, “It came from a Grand Lotus: your uncle, Iroh of the Fire Nation.”

“Well, that’s who we’re looking for,” Toph piped up.

“Then we’ll take you to him,” Piandao said.

The old man suddenly appeared behind Piandao and Jeong Jeong and pushed them away as he approached the group, “Wait! Someone’s missing from your group. Someone very important. Where’s Momo?”

“He’s gone,” Sokka paused before he added, “And so is Aang.”

“Oh well. So long as they have each other, I’m sure we have nothing to worry about. Let’s go!” the man slammed in to the ground and launched himself away with earthbending while laughing and snorting.

“He’s a bit… mad,” Abi commented.

“I reckon it has something to do with the jennamite that Bumi’s always eating,” Osamu remarked.

“Wait a minute… You’re telling me that that insane guy is the King of Omashu?” Abi realised who he was.

“He prefers to think of himself as a mad genius,” Osamu corrected. “Now, let’s get going.”

For the most part, Abi just stuck by Osamu and Piandao as they walked towards their destination. Of all the men, they were the only ones who Abi knew so she felt comfortable walking alongside them. Her mind drifted to Osamu, and she suddenly remembered the last conversation that they had together.

“So, uh… you know what I’ve been up to. What about you?” Abi wondered, hoping that he’d been able to connect with Dhatri and Xia.

Osamu smiled, “I was able to realise just how small the world truly was when I found the love of my life once again. Though I would have to thank you for that, Abi. If you hadn’t suggested to Dhatri to go to Ba Sing Se, we most likely never would have found each other again.”

“I would’ve figured something out for you,” Abi shrugged. “So, how did you guys cross paths again?”

“It was after Ba Sing Se fell. We’d managed to create a secret tunnel into the city so that we could help people escape. I was in charge of leading people out of the city one day, and you could imagine my surprise when I recognised Dhatri amongst the people escaping. It was even more surprising when I saw her with a child. I was too shocked to even do anything before she recognised me and it was like meeting her again for the first time,” Osamu explained.

“That must’ve been nice,” Abi murmured.

“It was wonderful. I held her in my arms and promised her that I would never let her go again. Then it was the child’s turn to be shocked since she had no idea who I was and why I was clutching onto her mother,” Osamu said.

“And she told you?” Abi wondered.

Osamu nodded, “After we’d gotten everyone to safety, Dhatri explained her relation to me. It was all so overwhelming, seeing her again and discovering that I had a daughter who didn’t even know I existed. At first I was disappointed that she hadn’t told her child that I was her father, but when she told me why, I understood.”

“And how did Xia react?” Abi asked.

“She was thrilled. When Dhatri said that I was her father, the first thing she did was throw herself into my arms and said that she’d always wanted a daddy and now she finally had one. It wasn’t long before I discovered her ability to firebend and it warmed my heart. She even showed me some of her moves and Dhatri had no idea that Xia was as skilled as she was. Xia said that she had a firebender friend secretly show her those moves,” Osamu said.

“Under any other circumstances, I’d probably be pissed that she leaked my secret after she promised not to. But for this time I’ll let it slide,” Abi commented.

“It wasn’t until Xia said that it was a girl who stayed with them and helped them that Dhatri realised she was talking about you. And when Xia said that it was the Dragoness, I knew that it was you,” Osamu stated.

Abi narrowed her eyes, “How did she know it was me?”

“She said that she recognised you from your wanted poster,” Osamu replied.

“Smart girl,” Abi muttered.

“She is a clever one. I’m proud to have her as my daughter,” Osamu smiled.

“So what about you guys? Did you do anything interesting on the day of the eclipse?” Bumi asked from ahead.

“Nah,” Zuko replied nonchalantly.

“No, not really,” Sokka added in the same tone.

“I tried to bust out of prison. It almost worked,” Abi commented.

“Now that sounds exciting,” Bumi laughed.

They were eventually lead to some type of camp which was obviously where the White Lotus was hiding. Abi couldn’t help but think how she shouldn’t be surprised that Osamu would be apart of this club even though she had no idea it existed until moments ago since after all, he was pretty god at Pai Sho. Zuko went ahead to his uncle’s tent and Katara went up to comfort him when he hesitated. That just left the others to get situated for the time being.

“We’ll give you all some space to rest for the night. I’m sure that whatever Prince Zuko and his uncle have to talk about will take some time,” Pakku stated.

Sleep wasn’t really something on Abi’s mind since it seemed the closer that it got to Sozin’s Comet, the more antsy she was becoming. With Sozin’s Comet only a day away, Abi knew that it was getting closer to the moment where all of their futures would be written for them. Abi just hoped that everyone’s future didn’t include a certain Fire Nation princess and Fire Lord ruling them all.

~*•°•*~ 

The following morning, Abi awoke to find everyone else was already awake. Normally that would surprise her but considering Sozin’s Comet was closer and closer away, it made sense for everyone to be ready and prepared. She joined the others as they ate breakfast with General Iroh who seemed to be on good terms with Zuko again. He gave Abi a warm smile when she approached and she gave an awkward wave in return.

“Uncle, you’re the only person other than the Avatar who can possibly defeat the Father Lord,” Zuko stated.

“You mean the Fire Lord,” Toph interjected.

“That’s what I just said!” Zuko snapped angrily.

Abi rolled her eyes, “I believe you had a slip of the tongue.”

“Hmmm…” Iroh trailed off.

“We need you to come with us!” Zuko exclaimed.

“No, Zuko, it won’t turn out well,” Iroh said.

“You can beat him! And we’ll be there to help,” Zuko insisted.

“Even if I did defeat Ozai, and I don’t know that I could, it would be the wrong way to end the war. History would see it as just more senseless violence, a brother killing a brother to grab power. The only way for this war to end peacefully is for the Avatar to defeat the Fire Lord,” Iroh told them.

“And then… then you would come and take your rightful place on the throne?” Zuko asked.

“No. Someone new must take the throne. An idealist with a purse heart and unquestionable honour. It has to be _you_ , Prince Zuko,” Iroh declared.

“Unquestionable honour? But I’ve made so many mistakes,” Zuko argued.

“Yes, you have. You’ve struggled; you’ve suffered, but you have always followed your own path. You restored your _own_ honour, and only you can restore the honour of the Fire Nation,” Iroh said.

Zuko looked away, “I’ll try, Uncle.”

“Well, what if Aang doesn’t come back?” Toph questioned.

“Sozin’s Comet is arriving, and our destinies are upon us. Aang will face the Fire Lord,” Iroh stated as he looked around the group of teenagers. “When I was a boy, I had a vision that I would one day take Ba Sing Se. Only now do I see that my destiny is to take it _back_ from the Fire Nation, so the Earth Kingdom can be free again.”

“That’s why you gathered the members of the White Lotus,” Suki gestured to the others surrounding them as she spoke.

“Yes. Zuko, you must return to the Fire Nation, so that when the Fire Lord falls, you can assume the throne and restore peace and order,” Iroh frowned. “But Azula will be there, waiting for you.”

“I can handle Azula,” Zuko stated confidently.

“Not alone!” Iroh argued. “You’ll need help.”

“You’re right,” Zuko agreed before turning to Katara. “Katara, how would you like to help me put Azula in her place?”

Katara smiled, “It would be my pleasure.”

“So, let me get this straight,” Abi spoke up as she leaned forward. “It’s not okay for him to face his brother when the world is at stake but it’s okay for Hothead to take the palace from his sister which will most likely lead to an even greater conflict?”

Everyone gave her annoyed looks.

“Just saying,” Abi muttered.

“What about us? What’s our destiny today?” Sokka asked.

“What do you think it is?” Iroh glanced up at him as he sipped his tea.

“I think that, even though we don’t know where Aang is, we need to do everything we can to stop the airship fleet,” Sokka proclaimed.

“And that means when Aang does face the Fire Lord, we’ll be right there if he needs us,” Toph added as she punched her fists.

“So I’m just gonna be dragged along for the ride?” Abi remarked.

“I believe you’ll find that your destiny lies where your path of destruction started,” Iroh said.

“You mean Daisuke?” Abi clarified.

“General Iroh, I have the map that you asked for,” a young man proclaimed as he approached them.

“Give it to Abi. There are directions on that map to a secret base where you’ll find your old master, but be prepared to face off against more than him,” Iroh stated.

“I can handle whatever he has to throw at me,” Abi growled.

“Let’s end this war!” Sokka exclaimed as they all stood up.

Within minutes they were all preparing to leave, with Katara and Sokka getting ready on Appa while Piandao gave Sokka, Suki and Toph a giant eel hound. Osamu approached Abi with what she immediately recognised as a mongoose lizard and assumed that it would be her ride to her destination.

“I believe you are familiar with these creatures,” Osamu said.

“I know what they are and how to deal with them,” Abi nodded as she hopped onto the lizard.

“Be careful, Abi. I know that Daisuke has not fared well since your betrayal and he has become more ruthless than ever. Do not hesitate for one moment before you make your move,” Osamu warned her.

“I’ll gladly be there to give him what he deserves,” Abi declared.

Osamu smiled, “I know you’ll certainly give him a run for his money. And when this is all over, you must reunite with Dhatri and Xia. They miss your company, and so do I. Good luck.”

“I won’t be needing it,” Abi smirked with determination.

“So if I’m going to be Fire Lord after the war is over, what are you going to do?” Abi heard Zuko ask his uncle as they prepared to leave.

“After I re-conquer Ba Sing Se, I’m going to re-conquer my tea shop, and I’m going to play Pai Sho every day,” Iroh proclaimed as he flipped a Pai Sho piece and caught it as he spoke.

For a moment, they all just stood there and glanced at each other. It was then that Abi realised that this could be the last time she sees any of them with the uncertainty of the war’s outcome. With that in mind, she gave them a rare smile and a nod before gripping the reins with determination.

“Goodbye, General Iroh,” Katara said.

“Goodbye, everyone. Today, destiny is our friend,” Iroh replied as he bowed his head.

When the others took off, Abi did the same and whipped the reins of her mongoose lizard which prompted the reptile to run rapidly across the ground. The destination on the map that Iroh had given her was only a few miles away and with the speed of the lizard, Abi was confident that she could make it in time.

Although she would never admit it out loud, Abi was somewhat nervous about seeing her old master again. The last time they’d seen each other had been when she was in prison and Abi was certainly far more different now than she was then. Abi just hoped that this difference inside of her would be enough to handle Daisuke because having been trained by him all her life, Abi knew exactly what he was capable of.

And she was going to do everything in her power to ensure that he didn’t use his skills against her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the original outline for the story, I had the Gaang going to June and flying to Iroh in the previous chapter but since that chapter was already long enough, I decided to split it in half which explains the relatively shortness of this chapter. It was only as I was writing this chapter when I realised that all this time, I’d been spelling Master Piandao’s name wrong as Piando. That really pissed my off since I haven’t just mentioned him in this story as well. At least I’m going back and editing the story, so I can make those changes when I need to. When Iroh tells Zuko that he needs to go face Azula I find it almost hypocritical since he says it wouldn’t be right for him to face Ozai like that, yet it’s okay for Zuko to do that with the same purpose so I had Abi voice my thoughts in her usual unapologetic way. Anyways, next chapter will be the epic showdown of the story and if it goes the way I think it will, it’ll be the last chapter of the story.


	75. Power of a Thousand Suns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I was writing this chapter, I briefly considered throwing it away and deleting the story altogether because I don’t like what it’s come to. But then I told myself that this was my first story and I’m sure as hell not gonna delete it when it’s the final chapter. I’m just so ready to be done with this story because it’s taken up so much of my time and I’ll be looking forward to having that time back. So I hope you guys enjoy the chapter more than I enjoyed it.

The entire time Abi travelled on her mongoose lizard, she was mentally preparing herself for what was about to happen. She would be facing off against her old master, the same person who had taught her everything she knew and undoubtedly still had tricks up his sleeves. This would without a doubt be the biggest battle of Abi’s life, even more monumental than her face off with Azula. Everything was writing on this, and it wasn’t just her pride that was at stake. The fate of the world was also resting on her shoulders, which was a pretty big weight.

When Sozin’s Comet arrived, Abi instantly felt it in her veins. It was unmistakeable to miss the giant ball of red in the sky. She could feel the power surging through her as a result of the comet. She’d been waiting for this moment for months now, so that she could display the true power and ferocity of her bending. Although Abi wasn’t exactly sure what the outcome of the day would be, she knew that the day of Sozin’s Comet would be a day that would go down in history, regardless of what the outcome was.

It was almost strange travelling by herself after being with other people for so long. After months of being by herself, Abi had reluctantly grown used to being around other people. But that was something she’d have to get used to again since Abi didn’t plan on being around people again after this was over. Whatever the outcome was, Abi planned on breaking away from the Fire Nation and going her own way. After spending so much time cooped up as a prisoner, Abi just wanted to be free and on her own, away from other people and their limitations. She didn’t know where she’d be going, all she knew was that she’d be somewhere anyone wouldn’t be able to find her.

A mile away from the destination marked on the map, Abi disembarked from her mongoose lizard and decided to continue the rest of her journey on foot. This way she could stick to the shadows and wouldn’t be easily spotted from the distance. Only that wasn’t the case as Abi got the distinct feeling that she was being watched. Even after all this time, she still considered her instincts to be up to speed and she was certain that there was someone somewhere behind her.

“Alright, are we going to do this the easy way, or am I going to have to burn whoever you are to a crisp?” Abi demanded. She didn’t have any time to waste, so she wasn’t going to play to anyone’s nonsense.

“Don’t burn us! You know us!” a voice called.

Abi crossed her arms, “Oh, yeah. Then show yourselves.”

Seconds later, two figures emerged from the tree up above before they brought themselves down. When they landed, Abi was stunned when she realised that yes, she did in fact know these people. At first, Abi hadn’t recognised them and it had taken her a few moments before she could register their names. It was Ishan and Nori from the Underground Society, yet they seemed to be missing their third counterpart.

“Fancy seeing you here,” Nori murmured.

“Why are you two here? I have a perfectly reasonable excuse for being here but I can’t understand why you two would be here,” Abi said.

“We’re here to rescue Aika,” Ishan replied.

“Aika?” Abi stated, remembering their irritating leader who had gotten under her skin.

“A few days ago, we were ambushed by the Yuyan Archers. Aika made us go so that she could deal with them, and we haven’t seen her since. This happened on the coast of the Fire Nation, but we got help to find out that she was here. We need to rescue her, she’s our friend,” Nori explained.

“Why are you here?” Ishan asked.

“I’m here to face my destiny,” Abi replied.

“And what is that?” Nori questioned.

Abi rolled her eyes, “I’m not telling you guys _why_ I’m here specifically, but I do think that we can help each other.”

“How?” Ishan narrowed his eyes.

“Even with the power of the comet, you guys are gonna need some help. I’ll get you guys to where you need to be and then once we’re ready, we’ll go our separate ways to do what we came here to do,” Abi answered.

“Why can’t you tell us what you’re doing here?” Nori wondered.

“Because you would get in my way and I don’t need people getting in my way, not on today of all days,” Abi snapped. “Now, are you going to accept my help or are you guys just going to make me do all of the work for you?”

“We’ll go with you,” Ishan said.

“Good,” Abi muttered.

There wasn’t really anything good about this situation, since if the Yuyan archers were here as well as Daisuke, then that could only mean that they were acting under his orders. The Yuyan archers were more of followers, meaning that they didn’t act on their own. It was clear that they had wanted something with these group of rebels, and Abi couldn’t help but think that it was because of their little society that explained why this had happened.

Saori’s voice suddenly entered Abi’s mind as she remembered her words: the society is the key. Had she meant the Underground Society? Or was she referring to the Order of the White Lotus? Whatever her spirit guide had meant, Abi needed to figure it out soon since she was running out of time before she had to face Daisuke and her destiny.

~*•°•*~ 

Being next to two people who were beside themselves with nerves wasn’t doing to help Abi. Ishan and Nori were both notably nervous about what they were going to face while Abi was trying her best to remain confident. She would be lying if she said that she was completely confident in her abilities and knew that she could defeat Daisuke. Abi wasn’t stupid, she knew that her old teacher was far more powerful than she was, but Abi was still confident that she could measure up to him on her own in some way.

The building that they found was enormous, and they had to be careful of where they positioned themselves as it was being heavily guarded. It was unlike anything that Abi had seen before, even when compared to the Tatakai Stronghold and Pohuai Stronghold. She knew that it was going to take a lot of force and power to get in there, which was just what she had.

“How are we getting inside?” Ishan asked.

“Well, we could go about this two ways. We could either be stealthy so nobody spots us, or we could cause chaos resulting in disorder and giving us the perfect access inside,” Abi replied.

“Which one would you prefer?” Nori questioned.

“Considering the amount of people that would have to be working here, I’d say that we’d be better off causing chaos. If we got caught being stealthy, our options would be severely limited,” Abi answered.

“Then chaos it is,” Ishan said.

“But we still have to get inside,” Nori pointed out. “How are we going to do that?”

“Leave it to me,” Abi answered as she stepped forward.

Without a care in the world, Abi waltzed straight towards the large gate that protected this fortress. She laughed in amusement as what sounded like an alarm went off and a light was pointed down at her. Dozens of guards appeared out of nowhere, and just as they were about to approach her, she turned herself around before moving her fingers in a circular motion as lightning started to crackle around her. This was the first time since her duel with Azula that Abi was using this technique, and it was time that she showed people just how powerful she could be.

Once the energy was conjured, Abi released it right at the gate made of steel, creating a loud explosion as it collapsed from the impact. The walls around it started falling down as well, taking out the guards as they approached her. Satisfied at the chaos that she had caused, Abi glanced back at where Ishan and Nori were standing, both of them with their mouths wide open before she gestured for them to follow her. They did that after standing there speechless for a few moments.

“That was… since when could you do _that_?” Ishan squawked as he and Nori ran beside her.

Abi smirked, “You don’t need to know those specifics. I like the element of surprise.”

They continued running together while thwarting the attempted assaults on them. If there was ever a time to ambush a place like this, it would be today with Sozin’s Comet making them more empowered than ever. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the strength of the comet made them a force to be reckoned with. Their plan was to basically cause as much destruction as possible to make it harder for people to find them, which seemed to be working as they managed to slip into the base of the structure as it crumbled around them.

“This is where we need to split up. You guys go find Aika, I’ll do what needs to be done for me,” Abi said.

Nori nodded, “Okay. Good luck.”

“You too,” Abi called back as they went their separate ways.

For a brief moment, Abi had wondered if she’d done the right thing by leaving them to their own devices. But she had to tell herself that this was something that she needed to do for herself, and for the world. Without Ishan and Nori holding her back, Abi was able to make quick work of getting around. Whenever she encountered trouble, Abi swiftly defeated her opponents before they even had time to react. Since now was not the time to be merciful, Abi burned them out of her way, but she did hope that she didn’t actually kill anyone.

Even now, murder wasn’t something that Abi thought that she was capable of. To kill someone in cold blood just didn’t sit right with her. If it came to self-defence or an accident, Abi was willing to accept that but she had no plans of intentionally killing anyone, even Daisuke. She wanted him to pay his debts to society by wasting away in prison. It’s what he deserved, just like Fire Lord Ozai did.

“Abi, I know that you’re here. If it is me that you are looking for, you shall find me in the courtyard. Cease your destruction immediately and see me there if you are prepared to face me. Nobody is to touch her unless I say otherwise. I want her in one piece,” Daisuke’s voice boomed through the intercoms.

This was it. There was no point in turning back now. If she did, Abi would look like an even bigger coward than people already thought she was. It was strange, walking around this place while people just stared at her. They were obviously following Daisuke’s orders, since he had made it clear that he wanted her just the way she was. Abi almost wanted to see if they’d do anything if she made a move against them, but she didn’t want to push her luck.

When Abi did find the courtyard, she couldn’t help but smirk to herself at the destruction that she had helped cause. Daisuke looked to feel anything but that based on the glare that he was shooting her way. This was one of his typical disappointment glares that Abi had seen before, only now it didn’t affect her as much as it used to.

“Abi, how lovely to see you,” Daisuke acknowledged her.

“Your face seems to say otherwise,” Abi remarked.

“I see your time in prison did very little to temper your wit,” Daisuke said.

Abi shrugged, “Some things never change.”

“But allegiances do,” Daisuke growled. “You have no idea how much trouble your little change of heart has brought to me.”

“Good, then! That’s what you deserve,” Abi spat.

“Now, now. I’m going to give you one last change to change your mind and join the rightful side. You can be my protégé once again and we’ll just forget that this ever happened,” Daisuke offered.

Abi snorted, “Do you really think that I’m that foolish that I would do that? I’ve known you long enough to know that you can certainly hold onto a grudge. And I’m willing to bet that if I did change my mind, you would immediately throw me in prison once this was all over. Of course, that would be if the Fire Nation was to win the war which unfortunately for you, won’t be the case.”

“You don’t know me well enough, Abi. I may have taught you everything you know, but I still have a few secrets for myself,” Daisuke snarled.

“Just like I’ve taught myself my own tricks. I didn’t learn everything from you, Daisuke. You really do flatter yourself too much when you say you made me into who I was. You weren’t the only influence in my life,” Abi said.

“Well now your life is about to be cut short,” Daisuke growled.

“Is that a challenge?” Abi asked, hoping that it was.

“It’s time for the student to face the master,” Daisuke declared.

“Standard Agni Kai rules apply,” Abi smirked.

“It truly is a shame that it had to come to this, Abi,” Daisuke seethed.

“For you,” Abi muttered.

Everything that was happening was almost bizarre to Abi. It was almost like nothing else mattered apart from her and Daisuke. They didn’t even spare anything else a second thought. They got into their opening positions for their Agni Kai, and Abi was feeling more nervous about this than she had ever felt about anything in her life. This was going to be her biggest challenge to date, but at least Abi had Sozin’s Comet on her side.

“It’s time for the student to become the master,” Abi proclaimed.

In an explosive display of firebending, Abi shot an enormous blast of fire towards Daisuke who shot his own blast at hers, creating an enormous explosion in the centre of the courtyard. Using her fire jets, Abi propelled herself across the ground as she sent arcs of fire towards Daisuke, but her old master stood his ground and easily dispersed them before conjuring a fire whip and chasing after her with it.

Only once every hundred years could firebenders display the type of power that was coming from the two expert firebenders. Abi watched in pure amazement as Daisuke created what looked like a dragon head before sending it right after her. To protect herself, Abi created a firebending shield and subtly used her firebending jets to allow the dragon to push her back. When the timing was perfect, Abi leapt sideways before kicking a blast at the fiery dragon, destroying it.

To gain the upper hand, Abi leapt up on a jet of fire and kicked her legs forward, sending waves of fire from her feet as she performed several spinning kicks. As Daisuke was busy deflecting them, Abi reassumed a standing position before punching two large fireballs towards him and they morphed together to create one massive blast. Daisuke had barely seen that coming and narrowly managed to evade her powerful fire blast that destroyed the wall behind him.

That seemed to enrage Daisuke as he was quick to assume a lightning generating stance and instead of moving to dodge it, Abi just stood there and waited as Daisuke generated his lightning before striking it at her. Remembering the technique that Zuko had shown her, Abi reciprocated those movements and felt the shock of her life as she managed to grasp hold of Daisuke’s lightning before redirecting it back at the building. Her technique had clearly caught Daisuke by surprise and Abi couldn’t help but cackle at the bemused look on his face.

“But you’ve never done _that_ before!” Abi taunted.

“I’ll show you a thing or too!” Daisuke seethed.

Fire continued to clash as the two firebending masters faced off. Abi couldn’t help but notice how Daisuke’s attacks were made with power, but lacked control whereas Abi was perfectly controlling her attacks with the power of the comet. If she could exploit this weakness, then perhaps she could end this sooner rather than later. Circling each other like they were doing was getting rather boring to Abi, so she wanted to spice things up a little bit.  

Abi then propelled herself into the air and kicked a blast of fire down at Daisuke. She then unleashed a powerful breath of fire after him as she was in mid-air. Just as Abi started to head towards the ground, she shot her own blast of lightning towards Daisuke and flung herself over what was left of the fence around the fortress.

“You gotta catch me if you can!” Abi cackled, feeling the need to mess with Daisuke at this point in time.

Daisuke seemed determined to chase her down so he followed after her as Abi propelled herself through the air and towards the forest around them. When Daisuke launched a fire blast towards her, Abi used it to propel herself even further away, taunting him as she did so. As much as Abi wanted this to be over, she knew that the longer their battle went, the more frustrated Daisuke would become which would make his defeat far more satisfying.

Lightning soon headed towards her direction so Abi used her firebending to conjure a tornado that she used to take herself up the tree she was on. When the lightning hit the tree, Abi moved to the next one, hoping to create a domino affect as Daisuke relentlessly tried to knock her out of the sky and leave her reeling. Part of Abi felt bad for creating such a mess of the area that they were now using as their showground, but she knew that it was all for the greater good, just like her having to suffer moths of imprisonment was too.

Doing a backflip over the tree that she was on, Abi kicked an enormous fireball towards Daisuke that he destroyed using his firebending. He then moved to destroy the tree that she was perched on, but Abi moved out of the way before using her firebending to glide across the ground. She then stopped at once, sending her firebending hurling towards Daisuke who roared as he was surrounded by flames, but he used his breath of fire in his roar to disperse them.

“You think that you’re so clever, huh? Well, you’re not!” Daisuke seethed.

“What’s the matter? Can’t handle being matched by a sixteen-year-old girl?” Abi taunted.

Daisuke cackled, “You, match me? Impossible! I am and will always be the master. You will always be my student. It’s a real shame that things had to turn out this way, Abi. We could have dominated the world together. But you wouldn’t have been useful to me anyways. You weren’t what I was looking for. I thought I had found what I wanted in you, but I had just wasted my time.”

Abi narrowed her eyes, “What were you looking for in me that I didn’t have?”

“Something more that just an ordinary powerful firebender. Of course, it’s nice to have a protégé with a little power, but only it that power can be useful to you. I thought you had that, but I was wrong. I had been looking in the wrong place for what I wanted the entire time,” Daisuke proclaimed.

“So… you found it?” Abi stated, wondering what on earth he was talking about.

“In the most unlikely circumstances too! I had just wanted to put a dent in my enemies armour by taking what he valued the most, only to realise that the girl was far more useful than I realised,” Daisuke said.

“Aika,” Abi gasped in realisation.

“Yes, I’m aware that you two have a connection. I had to force it out of her before she revealed that you had met her quite some time ago. If only you know just what she was capable of then,” Daisuke revealed.

“What are you talking about?” Abi demanded.

“Yes, what are you talking about?” a new voice entered the area.

Up ahead, Abi could see Aika standing there with Ishan and Nori by her side. It seemed as though they had managed to break her out after all, and seemingly in one piece too since she didn’t appear to have any new scratches on her.

“Ah, the Rebels. How nice of you to join us,” Daisuke drawled. “I was just telling Abi about how ironic it is when you find things in places that you didn’t expect.”

“That’s one way of putting it,” Abi remarked.

“Aika, I understand that we haven’t exactly had the best introduction, but I would be honoured if you were to stand by my side as we continue our great march of civilisation,” Daisuke declared.

“The best introduction? You tortured me for Agni’s sake!” Aika exclaimed. “Why would it even be an honour to have me by your side? Like you said, I’m a half-breed mutt.”

“Although my actions towards you are most regrettable, that was before I realised your importance. You seem to be unaware of your true lineage and what it means for _your_ destiny,” Daisuke said.

**The society is the key.**

Once again, Saori’s words echoed in Abi’s mind. Her eyes widened as she realised what Saori had meant. She had been referring to the Underground Society. More importantly, she had been referring to Aika. It had also slipped past Abi that Saori had also been referring to Daisuke as the ‘enigma’, and that now made sense since he had been the one to order the attack on the society.

But the most important realisation of all was that the identity of the Gem was standing right across from her. And based on the way he was saying things, Daisuke clearly knew of this prophecy too.

“The Gem,” Abi blurted.

Daisuke snapped his head towards her, “Ah, so you too are aware of the prophecy.”

“Yes, I am. I read it myself where it began. At first, I didn’t know what or who it was referring to, but now I know who. I guess I should’ve connected the dots sooner since I knew you were a half-breed,” Abi said.

“M-me?” Aika stammered.

“Yes, child. _You_ ,” Daisuke cooed. “You are more powerful and important than you realise. You are not some random half-breed mutt. You are the Gem of Fire, destined to hold the elements of the world on the inside while only possessing one on the outside. That is who you are.”

“You must be mistaken. I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Aika argued, her lips trembling as her body started to shake.

“You can deny it all you want, child. But it is who you are. That is your destiny,” Daisuke insisted.

Suddenly, the atmosphere around them felt as if it was vibrating and the air started to feel increasingly hotter by the minute. The wind started to pick up around them and Abi watched in amazement as the wind turned into fire before it surrounded Aika as she fell to the ground. The fire sounded as if it was roaring around them. This was unlike anything Abi had ever seen before, and she had no idea what it meant.

“What’s happening?” Nori asked fearfully.

“Yes! This is it! It is time for the power of the Gem to awaken inside of her! She will be my weapon to use so I can restore my good name!” Daisuke declared.

Abi glared at him, “Your name was never good to begin with!”

“I’m afraid I can no longer have you around as an issue anymore, Abi. It’s time I permanently removed you from the equation,” Daisuke said.

Seconds later Daisuke was working on generating his lightning, prompting Abi to do the same. She refused to let him get the better of her, and she wasn’t going to let this end like it did with Azula. This time, Abi was going to be sure that she was the one to fire her dazzling bolt of electricity first.

Only they both fired their lightning at the same time and the two bolts of energies collided together, creating an explosion unlike anything Abi had ever seen before. But the explosion was the last thing Abi did see before she was knocked off her feet and consumed by darkness.

~*•°•*~ 

The explosion caused by Abi and Daisuke’s combined lightning blast had created such an affect that the strike was heard miles away. The area where they had been in had been completely destroyed, but the group of teenagers were lucky enough to not be apart of the wreckage. They had been, but they were quickly saved in the immediate aftermath once things had quite literally cooled down.

It was fortunate that Gopan, once known as the Swindler and now known as the leader of the Underground Society, had managed to find the letter left by Ishan and Nori explaining what had happened to them. Gopan knew where Aika would be, so he had tried making it to where she was as quick as he could. He had heard the blast created by the lightning, and he had been shocked at what he found under the crumpled mess. He then whisked the teenagers away, including the one who he recognised as the Dragoness.

Ishan and Nori had been lucky enough to still be somewhat conscious when Gopan found them, but it had been a different story for Abi and Aika. The two girls had somehow been knocked unconscious, with Gopan having no idea how it could’ve happened. When it came to Aika, he had a theory of his own since he had known her identity the moment he met her. As for Abi, he had no idea what was going on with the prodigious firebender. But Ishan and Nori still had their questions, and Gopan had no choice but to answer them.

“Did you always know about Aika?” Nori asked.

“I did,” Gopan confirmed. “I instantly knew who she was when I met her. That was partly why I took her in, but it was mostly because I knew that she needed help.”

“Well, she definitely needs help now,” Ishan grumbled.

“There is nothing we can do for her, Ishan. I told you that Aika is in a spiritual coma and there is no telling when she will wake up,” Gopan stated.

“But what about Abi?” Nori inquired.

“I’m not sure, but she is not in the best of shape. Right now it is best that we keep them with us and make sure that nobody finds out what happened that day. It could put them both in grave danger when they do eventually awaken,” Gopan replied.

“But they’re searching for Abi. Fire Lord Zuko has said that she’s not to be treated as a criminal, but there will always be people looking for her,” Ishan stated.

“Which is why we have to give them reason to stop their futile search,” Gopan proclaimed.

Nori narrowed her eyes, “What do you mean?”

What Gopan had meant was creating an elaborate scheme that would ensure nobody would have a reason to look for the infamous Dragoness. Despite her being referred to as a war hero, they couldn’t risk her being found. After some of their meddling, the world had been shocked to hear that the Dragoness had been declared dead. In actuality, the Dragoness was far away from any land in a state of unconsciousness with no telling of when she would wake up.

She might just turn out to be dead after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, that was probably the worst ending that I could’ve given this story but I just wanted to get it out of the way and be done with it. A few chapters ago, I mentioned how I had to change the ending of the story and the reason for that was that I had originally planned to do a sequel, but since my spark for this story has fizzled out, I’ve decided to just leave it here and potentially revisit it in the future for my one shot collection. Some things might not make sense you guys now, and I’d understand why. Just know that Aika was always going to be the Gem, but that would’ve been revealed in the sequel had I followed through with my original plan. If I do change my mind and write a proper sequel, it would be after I finish editing the story. I’ve currently edited 21 chapters, so I’ve got another 40 or so to go. 
> 
> Even though I’m not satisfied with how the story has ended, I am still proud of it because it was my first story and 75 chapters long at that, so I have to be proud of getting it done even if it felt like a chore to do so. Part of the reason why I decided against doing a sequel was that this story had never received the same kind of response that my others did. So if more people do actually like this story and say that they want more, that might also be another reason for me to follow through with the sequel. But for now, this story is being put to rest and I don't know if it ever will be fully revived.


End file.
